Senator Garba Musa Maidoki, has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing unresolved internal party wranglings.
The senator who is representing Kebbi South in the Senate, is among the lawmakers screened out of the primaries for the 2027 elections.
Announcing his defection in a letter addressed to the Senate President and read during Tuesday’s plenary, Senator Maidoki stated that his decision followed “wide consultations with constituents” and was triggered by protracted problems arising from the APC primaries.
“There is a lingering internal crisis in the APC, especially arising from the Kebbi primary elections. After due consultation with my constituents, I have decided to defect to the ADC, which I believe aligns more with the interests of my district,” Maidoki declared in the letter.
However, the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the plenary, urged the lawmaker to step down his defection to allow room for reconciliation.
The presiding officer argued that the APC in Kebbi does not have a fundamental crisis and that Maidoki’s grievances could be resolved internally.
“I wish to intervene and plead with the distinguished senator to rescind his decision. There is no internal problem in the APC in Kebbi State. This is more of a family dispute and we can reconcile. I move that this defection be stepped down for reconciliation,” Barau said on the floor.
Maidoki, however, rejected the intervention, insisting that he had already made up his mind.
Maidoki’s exit adds to a string of defections from the APC to the ADC in recent months, as discontent over party primaries and internal disputes pushes some lawmakers toward the opposition.
The ADC has increasingly positioned itself as an alternative for politicians aggrieved by the ruling party’s internal processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Maidoki’s defection is likely to deepen those divisions and significantly alter the political calculus in Kebbi South.
