BREAKING: Mass Defection Rocks Shettima’s Home State as PDP, Other Parties From 27 Local Governments Collapse Structures into ADC

Mass Defection Rocks Shettima’s Home State as PDP, Other Parties From 27 Local Governments Collapse Structures into ADC

 

 

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has scored a major victory in Borno State, the home state of Vice President Kashim Shettima, as thousands of members from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition groups defected to the ADC.

 

The mass defection cuts across all 27 local government areas of the state and includes a number of high-profile political figures.

 

Leading the charge are influential politicians such as Alhaji Idris Mamman Durkwa, a former PDP gubernatorial aspirant, and Hon. Sheriff Banki, a respected youth leader and mobilizer. They were joined by other prominent defectors including Hon. Mohammed Umara Kumalia, a former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and Hon. Babakura Abba Yusuf, the PDP’s 2023 House of Reps candidate for Maiduguri.

 

Additional key figures who ditched their former parties include Alhaji Saleh Kida, a former deputy governorship candidate, and Alhaji Ali Wurge, a former PDP National Treasurer. All of them cited frustration with the status quo and confidence in the ADC’s emerging coalition as reasons for their defection.

 

The move comes on the heels of the formation of a new coalition spearheaded by former Senate President David Mark, now serving as interim national chairman of the ADC. The coalition has attracted significant national attention following the recent political alliance between PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who are now said to be working under the ADC platform to form a “third force.”

 

Amid growing rumors of potential defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), speculations that Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum might also join the ADC were swiftly dismissed. However, the steady stream of resignations from both APC and PDP is fueling talk of a major shake-up in the nation’s political landscape.

 

In a statement released in Maiduguri, Hon. Sheriff Banki said the defections reflect growing dissatisfaction with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s APC-led federal government. He accused the PDP in Borno State of failing its members due to internal compromises, weak leadership, and a lack of political direction.

 

“This is not just politics; it is a grassroots revolution,” Banki said. “People are tired of insecurity, hunger, and broken promises. Nigerians are demanding a new direction, and the ADC is now the only party with the integrity, structure, and national outlook to offer genuine hope.”

 

Political analysts say the defections could tilt the balance of power in the North-East as momentum builds toward 2027. For now, the ADC appears to be the biggest beneficiary of the shifting political tides in Borno, once considered a stronghold of the APC.

 

The coming months are expected to see intensified campaigns and more realignments as parties reposition themselves ahead of what is already being touted as one of Nigeria’s most consequential elections.