ADC Disputes APC Defection Claim, Says Paraded Figures Are Not Its Candidates

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has rejected claims by the All Progressives Congress, APC, that some of its House of Assembly candidates from Jigawa, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara States had defected to the ruling party.

The ADC said the individuals recently presented by the APC were neither recognised candidates nor leaders of the opposition party.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC challenged the APC to provide evidence of the political positions and credentials it attributed to the alleged defectors.

The party said the APC could not present individuals at its national secretariat and assign them ADC identities without establishing their connection with the party.

The ADC specifically asked the APC to identify the positions the individuals allegedly held within the party, the constituencies they purportedly represented and when they occupied those positions.

The development followed the APC’s announcement that individuals described as former ADC House of Assembly candidates from the four northern states had joined the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general election.

The ADC also rejected the APC’s claim that the alleged defectors were attracted by what the ruling party described as the transformation of Northern Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Abdullahi said Nigerians were more interested in tangible improvements in their living conditions, including food affordability, security and household economic stability.

The ADC maintained that the APC should provide verifiable evidence to support the identities and political credentials of the people it presented as former members of the opposition party.

The controversy comes amid increased political realignments and defections ahead of the 2027 general election, with parties seeking to strengthen their structures and grassroots support across the country.