A prominent northern senator, Garba Maidoki, publicly defected from the All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress on Wednesday, citing internal injustice within the ruling party and pledging to better serve his constituents from his new political platform.
Maidoki, who represents a senatorial district in northern Nigeria, announced his exit from the APC in a statement that described a pattern of marginalisation and disregard for his contributions within the party structure. He said the APC had failed to honour commitments made to him and his constituents and that remaining in the party would have compromised his ability to represent his people effectively.
Defection Deepens APC Attrition
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The senator’s move adds to a pattern of APC defections that have been building throughout 2026, including the departure of former Ogun Central Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, the resignation of former SGF Babachir Lawal from the ADC amid continued criticism of the APC, and the defections of three Osun State lawmakers earlier in the year. Each individual departure is manageable for the ruling party but collectively signals a degree of internal stress.
Atiku Abubakar’s ADC welcomed Maidoki’s arrival, with the party describing his decision as a reflection of the growing momentum behind the ADC’s presidential campaign for 2027. ADC officials said the senator’s defection demonstrated that experienced northern legislators were increasingly looking at the opposition as a more credible platform for serving their constituents.
APC Dismisses Defection as Routine
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However, the APC dismissed the senator’s defection as a routine political development that would have no meaningful impact on the party’s national standing or its preparations for 2027. Party officials noted that the Senate had just delivered one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in Nigeria’s history, the state police constitutional amendment, with overwhelming unity. Still, opposition figures pointed to the Kwara APC senators and governorship aspirants who were also rejecting primary results as evidence that internal cohesion within the ruling party was more fragile than official statements suggested. Consequently, the APC faces the challenge of managing a trickle of visible defections without allowing them to solidify into a narrative of party decline.
