Some former 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) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
They announced their decision on Monday when they visited the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, NEWSNGR reports.
The delegation was led by Princess Aslam Aliyu Gambiyar from Zamfara State.
Gambiyar said the group decided to leave the ADC because of its belief in Tinubu’s administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
She said the defectors were ready to work with the APC towards Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The defectors also declared their support for President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term in office.
Receiving the new members, Yilwatda welcomed them to the APC and asked them to return to their respective wards to begin grassroots mobilization.
“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.
Yilwatda assured the defectors that their contributions would be recognized within the party.
He also said their decision would be communicated to President Tinubu and that he would recommend them to the governors in their respective states for consideration in grassroots mobilization activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
The APC chairman urged the new members to immediately begin work in their wards and communities.
Yilwatda also used the occasion to defend the Federal Government’s development efforts in Northern Nigeria.
He rejected claims by opposition politicians that the region had been neglected under the Tinubu administration.
The APC chairman cited ongoing road projects across the North, including sections of the Abuja-Kano-Maiduguri corridor, Jos-Akwanga, Kwara-Niger, Sokoto-Kebbi, Laila-Sokoto and Kano-Daura roads, among others.
He also defended the administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy.
Yilwatda argued that reversing the policy could affect funding for infrastructure and other government programmes.
He questioned whether a return to the former subsidy regime would affect projects in road construction and gas development, as well as programmes such as the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
The APC chairman said the economic challenges facing Nigerians should be addressed through reforms and measures aimed at expanding opportunities rather than returning to policies that, according to him, placed pressure on government finances.
Yilwatda also said the APC and Tinubu administration had promoted political participation across regional and religious lines.
He urged the defectors to make their movement to the APC active by participating in party activities at the grassroots.
