The All Progressives Congress (APC) has received 11 House of Representatives and State House of Assembly candidates from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), as the ruling party intensifies mobilisation for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The candidates were presented to the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, by the founder of Babatinuubu Fisabililai 2027, Dr Princess Aslam Aliyu, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Aliyu disclosed that the latest defections followed the return of 12 ADC House of Assembly candidates to the APC about two weeks earlier.
She explained that the candidates’ identities and candidacies could be verified through the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal and records.
According to Aliyu, the defections demonstrated confidence in President Tinubu’s leadership and his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Welcoming the new members, Yilwatda said their decision to join the party would strengthen its commitment to national unity, economic development and the President’s re-election bid.
He noted that the APC was pleased to receive members from Sokoto, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kano and Plateau states, describing their decision as support for a more united and prosperous Nigeria.
The chairman defended the administration’s infrastructure projects in northern Nigeria, citing road construction, railway development, gas infrastructure and other investments.
Yilwatda highlighted road projects linking Abuja, Kaduna and Kano, as well as the Kano–Maiduguri corridor, alongside railway projects connecting Kaduna and Kano and extending towards Maradi in Niger Republic.
He maintained that the projects demonstrated the administration’s commitment to addressing infrastructure needs across the country, dismissing claims that the North had been neglected.
The APC chairman also defended the administration’s economic policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and increased capital expenditure, arguing that the government was addressing financial obligations inherited from previous administrations.
He urged Nigerians to focus on continuity and development ahead of the 2027 general election.
The APC National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Basiru, also welcomed the defectors, describing their decision as support for the party’s commitment to national progress.
Basiru characterised the 2027 election as a contest over the country’s development direction, urging Nigerians to consider the administration’s policies on infrastructure, education and economic management.
He cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), noting that more than 1.4 million students had benefited from the scheme.
The national secretary also defended the removal of fuel subsidy, insisting that the country would not return to the previous arrangement.
