Former Vice President Namadi Sambo, who served under President Goodluck Jonathan, has formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

   His defection, which took place yesterday at the Kaduna State Government House, ended long-standing speculation about his political future and delivered a significant blow to the PDP’s influence in the North-West.

  But former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, yesterday, lamented the downslide of political literacy in the country, stressing that Nigerian politicians should learn to be guided by principles in their political choices.

   Sambo was received by Governor Uba Sani and other APC leaders amid a wave of high-profile defections shaking the PDP, raising fresh concerns about the party’s stability ahead of the 2027 general elections.

   A former governor of Kaduna and respected technocrat, Sambo retains substantial grassroots and elite appeal in the region. Responding to the onset of defection Harmattan in the North-West geopolitical zone following Sambo’s change of political affiliation, Lamido, who was the pioneer secretary of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the short-lived Third Republic, said the ex-VP’s purported defection could be a product of disinformation or Artificial Intelligence (AI) -generated data.

  “If not, then, it shows that the defecting politician does not know his class or standing in the country. By his status, he (Sambo) cannot join the APC at the local state branch of the party. You (the media) should ask him why he is jumping ship and what he wants or what is pursuing him,” he stated.

  A chieftain of Kaduna APC, Bashir Hamisu, had in a short post on his Facebook page, stated: “Former Vice President Namadi Sambo officially joins APC. You are welcome to our party 100 per cent.”

  Explaining the rationale for his decision, the former VP, who also served as Kaduna governor before Jonathan chose him as running mate, said: “APC’s vision for a united and prosperous Nigeria aligns with my aspirations for our great nation.

  “I believe in APC’s commitment to progress, and I am here to bring my experience to bear on the efforts to support the party’s agenda.”

  He declared that he was still ready to contribute his quota to the progress of the country, stressing that national unity had always been his motivation for joining public service.

  In his remarks at the occasion, Governor Sani declared that the entrance of Sambo comes as a game-changer for the party and Kaduna.