House of Assembly candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) from Zamfara, Plateau, Taraba and Jigawa states have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027.
The defectors, led by Dr Princess Aslam Aliyu Gambiyar from Zamfara State, announced their decision on Monday during a courtesy visit to the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Gambiyar said the defectors were convinced that President Tinubu remained the candidate they believed could take Nigeria to greater heights through the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She said the conviction informed their decision to leave the ADC and join the APC, with the aim of supporting the President’s bid for a second term.
Receiving the defectors, Yilwatda welcomed them into the APC and commended their decision to place what they considered the broader interests of the country above their individual political ambitions.“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,” Yilwatda said.The APC chairman assured the new members that the party would provide them with a platform to contribute to its activities and national development.
He said their decision to join the APC would be communicated to President Tinubu, adding that he would recommend them to the governors in their respective states for appropriate roles in grassroots mobilisation and other party activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
Yilwatda also used the occasion to counter claims by opposition politicians that the Tinubu administration was indifferent to the development of Northern Nigeria.
He pointed to ongoing infrastructure projects across the region, citing the Abuja–Kano–Maiduguri corridor, which he said stretches about 1,000 kilometres, as well as the coastal road, Jos–Akwanga, Kwara–Niger, Sokoto–Kebbi, Laila–Sokoto and Kano–Daura roads.
On the economy, the APC chairman questioned calls for a reversal of some of the Federal Government’s reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy.
He argued that returning to the previous subsidy regime could have implications for ongoing infrastructure and development programmes, including road construction, gas-related investments and the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Yilwatda maintained that the country’s economic challenges should be addressed through reforms and development programmes aimed at reducing poverty and creating sustainable opportunities, rather than returning to policies that, according to him, contributed to fiscal pressures on governments.
He also highlighted what he described as the inclusive character of the APC and the Tinubu administration, citing the participation of Nigerians from different regions and religious backgrounds in political and public offices.
The National Chairman urged the new APC members to return to their respective wards and communities and commence grassroots mobilisation, stressing that joining the party should go beyond changing political platforms to active participation in its programmes.
The defection comes amid political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, as politicians and aspirants continue to reassess their platforms and alliances ahead of the next electoral cycle.
