Former ADC Leader Declares Party Dead in Kaduna After Joining APC

Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Sa’idu, a former top official in Kaduna State, has announced that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is politically dead in the state. This statement came after he left the ADC to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) along with over 200,000 supporters.

Sa’idu made his comments during a welcoming ceremony for himself and other defectors in Zaria. He was previously the Commissioner for Finance and Chief of Staff to former Governor Nasir El-Rufai. He stated that many political figures, including former ADC governorship candidate Alhaji Ja’afaru Sani, joined him in this move.

Sa’idu explained that his political group, known as Kaduna De-Initiatives, had worked hard to build the ADC’s presence in the state. However, he became disillusioned when he felt that new members took control of the party’s leadership. He claimed that the ADC was being directed by a single family, which he found unacceptable.

He said that after reviewing the candidates from both the ADC and APC, it was clear that the APC had a stronger lineup. This led his group to hold a meeting where they decided to return to the APC, which they considered their original political home.

Sa’idu mentioned that around 100,000 ADC members had already switched to the APC before the ceremony, with another 100,000 following shortly after. However, he did not provide proof of these membership numbers.

He predicted that the ADC would struggle in the upcoming 2027 elections, suggesting they would finish far behind the APC. Governor Uba Sani, who spoke at the event, welcomed the defectors and emphasized that everyone in the APC would have equal opportunities, regardless of when they joined.

Sani also expressed confidence in the APC’s ability to secure a significant number of votes in the next elections, raising their target from two million to three million votes. He encouraged residents to support President Bola Tinubu, citing various federal projects and appointments benefiting Kaduna State as reasons to back the APC.