House of Assembly candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Zamfara, Plateau, Taraba and Jigawa states have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and declared their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The defectors, led by Dr Princess Aslam Aliyu Gambiyar of Zamfara State, made their position known when they paid 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 Tinubu remained the candidate capable of taking the country to greater heights through his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. She said the conviction informed their decision to leave the ADC and join the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Receiving the defectors, Yilwatda welcomed them to the APC and commended them for placing what they considered the broader national interest 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,” he said.
The APC chairman also dismissed claims that the Tinubu administration was indifferent to Northern Nigeria, citing ongoing infrastructure projects across the region. He mentioned the Abuja–Kano–Maiduguri corridor, coastal road, Jos–Akwanga, Kwara–Niger, Sokoto–Kebbi, Laila–Sokoto and Kano–Daura roads, among others.
Yilwatda also defended the administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, arguing that reversing the policy could undermine ongoing infrastructure and development programmes.
He questioned whether a return to the subsidy regime would require the government to scale back projects and programmes such as road construction, gas investments and the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
The APC chairman further said the country’s economic challenges should be addressed through reforms aimed at reducing poverty and creating sustainable opportunities rather than returning to policies that had contributed to fiscal pressures on governments.
Yilwatda also highlighted what he described as the inclusive character of the APC and the Tinubu administration, pointing to the participation of Nigerians from different regions and religious backgrounds in government and political structures.
He assured the defectors that their decision would be communicated to President Tinubu and said he would recommend them to governors in their respective states for roles in the party’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 elections.
He urged them to return to their wards and begin grassroots mobilisation, stressing that joining the APC should translate into active participation in building the party and supporting its programmes.
The defections add to the political realignments taking place ahead of the 2027 general elections, as politicians and aspirants reposition themselves and reassess their alliances ahead of the next electoral cycle.
