Three candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the National Assembly and Kebbi State House of Assembly have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), alongside other party members.
The defectors were received by Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.
They include Mohammed Ahmed, ADC candidate for the Arewa/Dandi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives; Kabiru Abdullahi, the party’s candidate for Arewa State Constituency; and Muhammad Gazali, its candidate for Gwandu State Constituency.
Speaking at the reception, Idris welcomed the defectors and attributed their decision to the achievements of his administration.
“We are not surprised by your decision because the present administration has touched the lives of people in different ways through the execution of numerous developmental projects,” the governor said.
He assured residents that his government would continue to implement development projects across the state.
Idris also called on opposition parties to ensure their criticism of the government was based on facts. He said criticism was part of democracy but urged political actors to avoid comments that lacked evidence.
On security, the governor cautioned against politicising insecurity, describing the protection of lives and property as a shared responsibility between the government and the public.
He pledged continued support for security agencies and disclosed that the Federal Government would soon establish military formations at security flashpoints across the state.
The Kebbi APC chairman, Abubakar Kana-Zuru, welcomed the new members and urged them to complete their registration at their respective wards and polling units to formalise their membership.
Yusuf Tanko-Sununu, a former Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, who introduced the defectors, said they were attracted to the APC by Idris’s leadership.
Bala Garba-Manga, one of the defectors, said the group decided to leave the ADC after assessing the political situation in Kebbi.
“We, the ADC Legacy Group, carefully analysed Kebbi politics and came to the conclusion that we will defect from our old party, ADC, to APC,” he said.
Meanwhile, Asma’u Nuhu, the ADC women’s leader, appealed to the governor to increase women’s representation in his administration.
She argued that women play a significant role in elections but are often excluded from political appointments and positions.
