The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has responded to comments by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, that “key ADC figures” would soon join the ruling party, asserting that defections will not rescue the APC from electoral defeat in 2027.
The party also called for urgent amendments to the 1999 Constitution and the 2022 Electoral Act to ensure the sanctity of the ballot, expressing concern over the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the process of appointing Supreme Court Justices.
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State had earlier declared during a mega rally at the weekend that with the defection of four members of the Kaduna House of Assembly, five members of the House of Representatives, and thousands of their supporters, the state was now 95 per cent APC.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the ruling party’s desperation to attract members from other political groups reflected its growing unpopularity among Nigerians who blame it for the hardship they face. “The attention of ADC has been drawn to the declaration by the National Chairman of APC at a stakeholders’ meeting in Jos, that key ADC figures would be received into the APC next week. This statement underscores a deep realisation by the ruling party that it cannot be saved, even if all the governors in Nigeria defected to the ruling party. This is why, even with all the governors and senators they have been bragging about, the APC is still desperate for ADC members. The truth remains that the APC realises that it has become the most hated party in Nigeria, and no amount of defection can save the party from Nigerians whose lives and livelihoods the ruling party has destroyed since it came to power,” Abdullahi said.
Reaffirming its readiness to change the nation’s trajectory, the ADC leadership in Lagos stated that Nigerians continue to suffer severe hardship under the incumbent government. Led by Ugochukwu Anaere, the Lagos chairmen made the statement during a weekend briefing in Lagos, where they also condemned threats allegedly made by the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos State Chapter, Mustapha Adekunle (Sego), against ADC members.
The ADC leaders alleged that their members had suffered attacks and intimidation, especially during the 2023 general elections, and expressed concern that such incidents could recur in the 2027 polls. They described Adekunle’s remarks as “careless, barbaric, uncivilised, provocative and dreadful,” and demanded his immediate arrest and prosecution. They further called on security agencies to take concrete steps to ensure the protection of voters’ lives and property and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
At the Kaduna mega rally, Yilwatda, along with key APC figures including Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, Minister of Environment Balarabe Lawal, Chairman of the North West Development Commission Lawal Yakawada, and a large turnout of party supporters, celebrated the wave of defections. Governor Sani assured the new members that the APC “is one family which does not discriminate against its members,” adding that “those that have joined our party today and those that have been with us since the creation of this party will have the same privileges.”
Yilwatda described the APC as “the promised land” for Nigerian politicians, praising President Bola Tinubu and Governor Sani for their leadership and saying both deserved a second term in office. Abbas also highlighted that the APC’s political dominance in Kaduna was unprecedented. Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Husseini Jalo thanked Governor Sani and President Tinubu for what he described as good leadership in both the state and the country.
