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From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
In continuation of the pre-2027 political realignment in Gombe State, Muhammad Bello, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Political Adviser to Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has dumped the ruling party.
He has pitched his tent with the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), a party that is spoiling for a showdown with the APC in Gombe State.
Bello, who served as the first member representing Gombe South Constituency in the State House of Assembly under the APC, confirmed his resignation in a letter addressed to the party’s chairman in Bolari -East Ward of Gombe Local Government, citing “personal reasons” for his decision.
According to him “I hereby tender my resignation from the All Progressives Congress with immediate effect. I wish to express profound gratitude to the party for the opportunities I enjoyed while serving as a legislator and later as Special Adviser on Political Matters to the Governor,” he said.
Bello’s exit is viewed by political analysts as a strategic repositioning ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly as opposition movements in Gombe begin to reorganise against the ruling APC. His defection, Daily Sun gathered, comes at a time when internal cohesion within the party is under scrutiny, and emerging alternative platforms like the ADC are gaining traction among aggrieved stakeholders.
Although he refrained from openly criticising the APC leadership, his departure underscores growing unease among the party leadership over internal decision-making and direction.
The ADC has yet to formally welcome Bello into its fold, but sources within the party confirmed that discussions had been ongoing and his defection is expected to galvanise support for the party’s restructuring efforts in key local government areas.
Daily Sun recalls that Bello is not the first APC chieftain to defect to the ADC. A former APC State Organising Secretary and youth mobiliser, Abdullahi Ataka, was among the first set of APC chieftains to join the ADC.
According to him, the decision to join the ADC was not one that was made lightly. He said “It followed extensive consultations across political and civic platforms. We see, in the ADC, a fresh energy, a sense of direction, and an openness that is lacking in the current system. We’re not just coming with numbers; we’re coming with structure, strategy, and a clear sense of purpose.”
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Welcoming the defectors, the ADC state chairman, Auwal Barde, described the coalition as “a timely alliance driven by the need to offer Nigerians a credible alternative. This is not just a merger of political interests. It’s the beginning of a genuine movement to rescue Gombe State and Nigeria at large from political stagnation.
“We have officially opened our party registers in all 114 wards and across the 11 LGAs of the state to welcome new members who believe in change rooted in accountability and inclusiveness. We are calling on those who have been politically displaced or discouraged — youth, professionals, and interest groups — to come on board. ADC is a platform for real transformation,” Barde said.
Among those who attended the meeting at the time was a former minister, Abdullahi Umar, who had defected from the PDP to APC in 2016, but returned to the PDP in 2022. He emphasised that the coalition was not just about defeating the APC, but about providing solutions to Nigeria’s growing challenges.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Gombe State has declared its support for former Senate President, David Mark as the party’s national leader ahead of the 2027 general elections. It, therefore, warned its former gubernatorial candidate in Gombe, Nafiu Bala, to desist from parading himself as the party’s national chairman or face expulsion.
Speaking in an interview with Daily Sun shortly after a meeting involving chairmen, secretaries, and officials from the 11 local government areas of Gombe State, ADC State Chairman, Auwal Baba Barde, said the resolution to stand firmly behind Mark was unanimous.
He said, “We in Gombe are not aware of, and do not support, any leadership other than that of Senator David Mark. We have warned our member who is parading himself as national chairman to retrace his steps or face expulsion from the party. He was our gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 elections, but after the polls he disappeared, only to resurface now, making baseless claims,” he said.
The ADC chairman described Nafiu as a “lost member who appeared from nowhere,” insisting that the party in Gombe is focused on building a formidable political force rather than being distracted by “a single member making noise and trying to cause setbacks.”
Barde further revealed that the party is intensifying consultations with key stakeholders, political groups, and prospective candidates in Gombe State, including former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, as part of a broad coalition to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the national, state, and legislative levels.
“We are engaging all relevant players, from governorship hopefuls to senatorial and House of Representatives aspirants to ensure we form a united front capable of salvaging Nigeria,” he said.
