ADC Defection Claim Sparks Fresh Political Row as APC Receives Four-State Candidates, ADC Disputes Identities

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the defection of a group of individuals it identified as former African Democratic Congress (ADC) House of Assembly candidates from Zamfara, Plateau, Taraba and Jigawa states, with the defectors declaring support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The group made its position known during a visit to the APC national secretariat in Abuja, where they were received by APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda. The development was announced in a statement issued by Abimbola Tooki, special adviser to the APC chairman on media and communications strategy.

The delegation was led by Dr Princess Aslam Aliyu Gambiyar of Zamfara State, while reports identified other members as former ADC candidates from the four northern states. The group said it had decided to leave the ADC and align with the APC as preparations intensify for the 2027 elections.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Gambiyar said the decision was based on the group’s belief in Tinubu’s administration and its Renewed Hope Agenda. She said the defectors intended to work with the APC in support of the President’s bid for another term in office.

Another member of the delegation, Mohammed Hassan of Zamfara State, described the move as more than a change of political platform. He said the group wanted to contribute to public service and mobilise support for the administration ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Receiving the group, Yilwatda welcomed them into the APC and urged them to return to their wards, local governments and polling units to commence grassroots mobilisation. He stressed the importance of building party structures at the local level as the country approaches the next general elections.

The APC chairman also used the occasion to defend the Tinubu administration’s policies and projects in northern Nigeria. He cited federal road construction and other development initiatives while rejecting claims from opposition politicians that the region had been neglected by the administration.

Yilwatda further defended the government’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, arguing that reversing the policy could affect funding for infrastructure and other government programmes. His comments came amid continuing political debate over the economic consequences of the subsidy removal and competing proposals ahead of 2027.

However, the reported defections have triggered a direct rebuttal from the ADC. In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party disputed the APC’s description of the individuals as its former candidates or recognised party leaders and challenged the ruling party to provide details of their alleged positions and constituencies.

The conflicting accounts have therefore turned the reported defections into a fresh political controversy ahead of the 2027 elections. While the APC maintains that former ADC candidates from the four states have joined its ranks and pledged support for Tinubu, the ADC disputes their claimed political credentials. Further clarification from the parties on the identities, constituencies and previous status of those involved would be necessary to independently establish the full details of the development.