The African Democratic Congress (ADC) State Houses of Assembly candidates have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general election.
Receiving the decampees from Plateau, Zamfara, and Jigawa states at APC national secretariat on Monday Abuja, the National Chairman of the party, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda assured the decampees that they would be accommodated in the party.
His words: “Today, we are receiving some of the candidates of the ADC for the House of Assembly in various states. Thank you so much for believing in our party and coming on to join us in this progressive journey, 2027 and beyond.”
Yilwatda said having resigned from theADC at the Ward Level, they should register as members of the ruling party at their various Wards.
He added: “We receive you specially because of the significance of your decamping as candidates who voluntarily left the contest and abandon your ambition for the overall interest of the nation.
“Because of that significance, we opted to receive you at the headquarters of the party, so that we will tell the world that here are young Nigerians who have their own personal ambition, but they forfeited their personal ambition for the overall interest of the nation.”
The chairman wondered why the opposition ADC accused the president of constructing roads in the south and not doing anything in the north.
Yilwatda argued that the Tinubu administration has embarked on unprecedented road infrastructure across the North, which he said has been under-reported.
He stated: “The road from Abuja to Kano is 400km. The road from Kano to Maiduguri is 500km. Two of them alone are 900km, almost 1,000 km. The coastal road is 700km. Just the road from Abuja to Kano that leads to Maiduguri alone is almost 1,000km.
“The one from Abuja to Kano is near completion. The one from Maiduguri towards Kano is almost 50% completed. Apart from that, the one from here (Abuja) to Lokoja, from here (Abuja) to Benue, to Enugu, the one from here (Abuja) to Akwanga. The one from Jos heading to Akwanga is under construction. The one from Kwara heading towards Mokwa into Niger is under construction.
“The one from Sokoto heading to Kebbi is under construction. The one heading to Zamfara, even the one that went to Ilela in Sokoto is under construction. The one from Kano to Daura is under construction. The one from Zaria heading towards Gusau is under construction.
“If I keep counting all of that across the North, why are we not talking about it? We have more roads being constructed under this administration.”
He warned Nigerians not to be deceived by opposition propaganda, especially claims that they will return fuel subsidy.
Yilwatda said: “They go on radio stations to tell us they will return subsidy. Let people ask them how they will return the subsidy. You mean they will stop all these road construction because they want to return the subsidy? Because there will be no money to construct all these roads again.
“The gas they are bringing to the North will give us fertilizer, and we in the North need that fertilizer, you mean they should stop it? The CNG that will come with the gas that will make transportation easier for vulnerable people — should we stop it?
“Most of the beneficiaries of the student loan are from the North. Should we stop it so that most of our people who cannot afford school fees will go back to being wheelbarrow pushers in the villages?”
The Chairman recalled that as of 2023 when President Tinubu took over, about 30 states could not pay salaries, pensions and gratuities, a situation he said must not be allowed to return.
He described President Tinubu as the most pan-Nigerian and inclusive leader among the contenders for 2027, citing his record in Lagos where he appointed people from all parts of the country.
“In Lagos, a Muslim from Kano, was Local Government Chairman. Mr. Ben Akabueze from Anambra was Commissioner for Budget in Lagos. You have National Assembly members from the North who were members from Lagos. He built an inclusive Lagos that accommodated everybody — Igbos, South-South, Hausas. It has never happened anywhere in this country.
“Tell me one candidate who built that accommodative record. Peter Obi was governor in Anambra, tell me one person from outside Anambra who was commissioner in his cabinet. Was there any? Kwankwaso was governor in Kano. Tell me one person from outside Kano who was commissioner in Kano State. None.
“The same with the former Vice President. He installed governors in Adamawa. Show me one person he brought from another state who was commissioner.
“Mr. President has shown that he is a pan-Nigerian leader who accommodates everybody, and all of you here will be accommodated,” he said.
He urged the new members to return to their wards and polling units to strengthen the party ahead of 2027, stressing that all elections are won at the polling unit level.
Earlier, speaking on behalf of the decampees, Mohammed Hassan said they decided to sacrifice their ambition to support the re-election of Tinubu.