Niger: ADC grows as 200 APC defectors join party

As the campaign for the 2027 general elections kicked off with the presidential campaign, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has welcomed no fewer than 200 defectors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State.

The defectors, mostly women and youths, were welcomed into the opposition party by the deputy governorship candidate of the ADC in the state, Hon. Mamma Musa.

They were received at the Bosso Local Government secretariat of the party in a well-attended ceremony on Saturday.

Some of the defectors told our correspondent that it was time to move on, saying that the ruling party had lost its bearing in the affairs of the state and had neglected the people.

According to Hassan Salihu, one of the defectors, they decided to leave the APC because governance had been personalised by the APC administration in the state.

Another defector, Abdullahi Adamu, popularly known as SHABAN, said the APC government in the state had since abandoned those who struggled to bring it to power, adding that he lost his vehicle while campaigning for the emergence of the party but, despite the sacrifice, received no meaningful support from the party.

The defectors also alleged that, aside from the neglect, hardship and poverty were among the reasons why they needed a change, and therefore expressed confidence that the ADC would change their fortunes.

This is coming almost one month after the mass defection to the party of former commissioners, former local government chairmen, former councillors and former key political appointees from the immediate past administration in the state.

The defection of former top political appointees was led by a former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, Alhaji Maikil Bmitosahi, who accused the governor of running a one-man government.