Some candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) contesting seats in various State Houses of Assembly have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and declared their support for President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027.
The defectors, drawn from Zamfara, Plateau, Taraba and Jigawa states, announced their decision on Monday during a visit to the APC national secretariat in Abuja, where they met with the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda.
Leading the delegation, Dr Princess Aslam Aliyu from Zamfara State, said the candidates chose to leave the ADC because of their confidence in the Tinubu administration and its Renewed Hope Agenda.
She said the former ADC members were ready to join the APC and contribute to efforts aimed at securing Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 presidential election.
Yilwatda welcomed the defectors into the APC and urged them to return to their respective wards and begin grassroots mobilisation.
“We have young people who are joining us in the progressive fold. I am happy that you resigned and presented your resignation letters to your wards. The job now is to go back to your wards and start work,” the APC chairman said.
Yilwatda also defended the Federal Government’s development efforts in Northern Nigeria, dismissing opposition claims that the region had been neglected under the present administration.
He pointed to ongoing road construction and rehabilitation projects, including sections of the Abuja-Kano-Maiduguri corridor, Jos-Akwanga, Kwara-Niger, Sokoto-Kebbi, Laila-Sokoto and Kano-Katsina roads.
The APC chairman further defended the government’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy.
He argued that reversing the policy could undermine funding for infrastructure projects and other government programmes.
Yilwatda questioned whether returning to the previous subsidy regime would provide sufficient resources for road construction, gas development and initiatives such as the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
He maintained that the country’s economic difficulties should be tackled through reforms designed to expand opportunities rather than policies that put additional pressure on government finances.
Yilwatda also said the APC administration had encouraged political participation across regional and religious lines.
He assured the new members that their contributions would be recognised, adding that their defection would be communicated to President Tinubu.
He also promised to recommend them to their respective state governors for possible grassroots mobilisation roles ahead of the 2027 elections.
The defections come amid continuing political realignments among parties, candidates and political groups ahead of the 2027 general elections.
