Former El‑Rufai Ally Leads Mass Defection of ADC Members to APC in Kaduna

Mass defection announced in Zaria On Saturday, Muhammad Sa’idu – a former Kaduna State Commissioner for Finance and former chief of staff to ex‑Governor Nasir El‑Rufai – publicly declared that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is effectively defunct in Kaduna State. Speaking at a reception in Zaria, Sa’idu said his faction, known as Kaduna De‑Initiatives, had moved to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) together with what he described as more than 200,000 card‑carrying members.

Reasons given for the shift According to Sa’idu, his group built the ADC’s grassroots structure from the ward level up to the state level. He claimed that a small number of individuals who later joined the party hijacked its direction, turning it into a vehicle controlled by a single family. After comparing the list of ADC primary winners with the APC’s candidates, Sa’idu said the contrast was stark and offered no justification for remaining in the opposition. An emergency meeting of the Kaduna De‑Initiatives steering committee subsequently resolved to return to the APC, which Sa’idu framed as a return to “home”.

Other political figures involved The defection was not limited to Sa’idu. Former ADC gubernatorial aspirant Jafaru Sani and former Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari also joined the APC alongside Sa’idu. All three were formally welcomed by Kaduna Governor Uba Sani during the ceremony.

Impact on APC’s electoral strategy Governor Uba Sani used the occasion to announce an increase in the APC’s target for the 2027 elections in Kaduna, raising the goal from two million to three million votes. The governor expressed optimism that the influx of former ADC members would strengthen the party’s grassroots mobilisation ahead of the upcoming polls.

Assessment of ADC’s future in the state Sa’idu asserted that there are no remaining bona‑fide politicians within the ADC and that the party no longer functions as an opposition force in Kaduna. While the statements reflect Sa’idu’s perspective, the sources do not provide independent verification of the exact number of defectors or the internal dynamics of the ADC beyond his claims.

Context of the political realignment The movement of a sizable faction from a minor opposition party to the dominant APC underscores the fluid nature of party affiliations in northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections. Observers note that such defections can reshape electoral calculations, especially in states where the APC seeks to consolidate its dominance.

The event marks a significant realignment in Kaduna’s political landscape, with the APC positioning itself to leverage the newly acquired membership base while the ADC faces an uncertain future.