The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has disowned former State House of Assembly candidates who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the individuals received by the APC were not members or candidates of the party. This was made known by the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Monday. Abdullahi described the reported defection as a political stunt and questioned the identities of the individuals presented by the APC as former ADC candidates.
The development adds a new dimension to political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly as parties continue to receive politicians and supporters from rival political platforms. The former ADC Assembly candidates, led by Princess Aslam Aliyu, were received into the APC by the party's National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, at the party's national secretariat in Abuja on Monday. They cited the achievements of President Bola Tinubu's administration as the reason for their defection.
The former candidates said they had left their former party for the APC because of what they described as the achievements of President Bola Tinubu's administration. They also declared support for Tinubu's re-election bid in the 2027 presidential election. Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Hon. Mohammed Hassan, a former candidate from Zamfara State, appealed to the APC leadership to give them the opportunity to contribute to the party's activities.
Hassan said their decision was influenced by what they considered the progress recorded by the Tinubu administration, adding that they wanted to work for the continuation of the government. The group promised to mobilise support for the APC and take what they described as the party's message back to their respective communities. They asked the National Chairman and the entire leadership to receive them as brothers and partners.
Receiving the defectors, Yilwatda assured them that the APC would accommodate them and provide room for their participation in the party. The APC chairman said the significance of their decision was that they had voluntarily withdrawn from the electoral contest and abandoned their political ambitions in what he described as the overall interest of the nation. Yilwatda welcomed them to the party and promised to recommend them to their respective governors, local government areas, and wards.
Yilwatda also defended the performance of the Tinubu administration, particularly in Northern Nigeria. He said contrary to what he described as opposition criticism, the Federal Government had implemented several programmes and projects in the region, especially in infrastructure and empowerment. According to him, Northern Nigeria had also benefited significantly from the student loan scheme and other government initiatives.
The APC reception and the subsequent reaction from the ADC have therefore produced conflicting accounts over the political status of the individuals involved, with the APC presenting them as former ADC candidates who have joined its ranks while the ADC insists that they were neither its candidates nor members. The reactions have raised questions about the political affiliations of the individuals and the circumstances surrounding their defection.
Key points
- The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has disowned former State House of Assembly candidates who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
- The defectors cited the achievements of President Bola Tinubu's administration as the reason for their defection.
- The APC has welcomed the defectors and promised to accommodate them and provide room for their participation in the party.
