Former candidates of the African Democratic Congress who withdrew from various State House of Assembly races in Northern Nigeria have defected to the All Progressives Congress.

The defectors were received by APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Monday.
The delegation was led by Princess Aslam Aliyu, popularly known as Gimbiyar Kauran Namoda, while Mohammed Hassan, an ADC candidate from Zamfara State, spoke on behalf of the group.

Hassan said the defectors were joining the APC to contribute to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda ahead of the 2027 elections.

“We are not here merely to change the political platform, but to begin a new chapter of service and make a great contribution to our people by supporting Baba Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in 2027,” he said.

Yilwatda, in his response, warned that a return to fuel subsidy could affect funding for infrastructure and other government programmes in Northern Nigeria.

He questioned how the Federal Government would finance ongoing road construction and other projects if subsidy payments were restored.

Yilwatda cited the Abuja-Kano and Kano-Maiduguri roads, along with projects linking Jos to Akwanga, Sokoto to Kebbi, Kano to Daura and Zaria to Danja, among others.

He argued that the scale of ongoing infrastructure work contradicted claims that the Tinubu administration had neglected the North.

The APC chairman also pointed to government initiatives involving gas, fertiliser, compressed natural gas and student loans, saying they were particularly relevant to Northern communities.

He argued that restoring subsidy could reduce the funds available for such programmes.

Yilwatda further recalled the financial difficulties faced by several northern states before 2023, including difficulties paying salaries and gratuities.

He warned that a return to previous fiscal conditions could worsen poverty in the region.

These statements were his political assessment and were not independently verified in the Punch report.

The debate over fuel subsidy has become a significant issue ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said he would restore a form of fuel subsidy if elected, while the APC has questioned how such a policy would be financed.

Yilwatda also urged the new APC members to return to their respective wards and local government areas to complete their registration and strengthen the party at polling-unit level.

He said the APC would integrate the defectors into its structures and expected them to contribute to the party’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 polls.