The African Democratic Congress has dismissed the growing wave of defections to the All Progressives Congress, saying the movement of governors and other elected officials to the ruling party will not secure President Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 general elections.
The party stated this on Saturday in Yola, Adamawa State, during its stakeholders’ meeting.
Speaking in an interview, the Chairman of the ADC in Adamawa, Shehu Yohanna, described the defecting politicians as individuals who have lost relevance in their former parties and states.
According to him, those moving into the APC are either failed office holders seeking political survival or politicians attempting to escape investigation by anti graft agencies.
He recalled a past comment credited to a former APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, that politicians’ sins would be forgiven once they joined the ruling party, insisting that such defections were driven by desperation rather than popularity.
Yohanna maintained that political power does not reside with governors or lawmakers but with voters at the grassroots, arguing that mass defections would not translate into electoral victory for Tinubu in 2027.
He cited the Ganye State Constituency Assembly by election as evidence of the APC’s declining influence, saying the ruling party recorded only 96 votes despite heavy security deployment and the presence of ministers.
He noted that the same seat was won by the APC with over 4,000 votes in 2023, which he said showed a sharp drop in public support.
The ADC chairman also disclosed that the party had proposed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate, with Peter Obi as running mate, ahead of the 2027 election.
He described Atiku as the only candidate with the capacity to defeat the APC at the polls.
Yohanna blamed the policies of the Tinubu administration for the growing dissatisfaction among Nigerians, citing cash withdrawal limits and other economic measures, which he said had negatively affected businesses and households across the country.
He urged members of the ADC and Nigerians generally to register and collect their Permanent Voter Cards, stressing that active participation in the electoral process was the surest way to remove the current administration through lawful and peaceful means.
He also warned against the emergence of a one party system, saying it would weaken democracy and silence opposition voices.
According to him, those planning to manipulate the 2027 elections would be disappointed when results are announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
On the Adamawa State local government elections, Yohanna expressed confidence that the ADC would win all the 21 chairmanship positions and secure victory across all wards in the state.
