By Our Reporter
Several African Democratic Congress (ADC) House of Assembly candidates from Zamfara, Plateau, Taraba and Jigawa states have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Renewed Hope Agenda ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The defectors, who comprised politicians from the four states, announced their decision during a courtesy visit to the APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The development was contained in a statement signed by Abimbola Tooki, Special Adviser to the APC National Chairman on Media and Information Strategy, on Monday.
The leader of the delegation, Princess Aslam Aliyu Gambiyar of Zamfara State, said the defectors decided to leave the ADC after becoming convinced that Tinubu remained the candidate they believed could move the country forward under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
She said the group had consequently resolved to join the APC and support the President’s bid for a second term in 2027.
Receiving the new members, Yilwatda welcomed them into the APC and commended their decision to abandon their individual political ambitions in favour of what they described as the broader national interest.
“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,” the APC chairman said.
Yilwatda told the defectors that the APC would provide them with a platform to participate in the party’s activities and contribute to national development.
He said their decision would be communicated to Tinubu and indicated that he would recommend them to the governors of their respective states for possible roles in the party’s mobilisation and grassroots activities.
The APC chairman 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 various infrastructure projects across the region as evidence of the Federal Government’s investment in the North, citing the Abuja–Kano–Maiduguri road corridor, which he said spans about 1,000 kilometres, as well as the coastal road, Jos–Akwanga, Kwara–Niger, Sokoto–Kebbi, Laila–Sokoto and Kano–Daura roads, among others.
Yilwatda also questioned calls for a reversal of some of the Federal Government’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy.
He argued that a return to the previous subsidy regime could have implications for infrastructure and development programmes being implemented by the government.
The APC chairman asked whether reversing the subsidy reform would require the government to halt major road projects, gas-related investments and programmes such as the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
He maintained that the government should remain focused on policies aimed at tackling poverty and creating sustainable economic opportunities rather than returning to policies that, according to him, had contributed to fiscal pressures on governments.
Yilwatda also recalled the difficulties experienced by state governments in meeting their salary obligations before the current economic reforms, particularly in parts of Northern Nigeria.
He argued that the country’s economic challenges should be addressed through continued reforms and development initiatives rather than a return to policies that placed additional pressure on public finances.
The APC national chairman further highlighted what he described as the inclusive nature of the ruling party and the Tinubu administration, particularly in terms of political participation across regional and religious lines.
He cited the participation of Nigerians from different parts of the country as commissioners, legislators and local government chairmen in Lagos State as an example of political inclusion.
According to him, the Tinubu administration has provided opportunities for Nigerians from different regional and religious backgrounds, describing the President as a technocrat who comes from a religiously tolerant family.
Addressing the defectors, Yilwatda urged them to return to their wards and communities and begin grassroots mobilisation immediately.
He stressed that joining the APC should go beyond changing political platforms, saying the new members were expected to become active participants in the party’s programmes and mobilisation efforts.
