The three senators from Kebbi State—Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South)—who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) last week, have explained the reasons for their decision.
The senators announced their defection after a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja last Friday. They were led to the meeting by APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
In a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read during plenary with Ganduje in attendance, Senator Aliero cited growing dissatisfaction with the PDP’s direction.
“The PDP, as it currently stands, has become disconnected from the aspirations of the very Nigerians it seeks to lead,” Aliero said. “Internal divisions, lack of ideological clarity and inability to provide a credible forward-looking agenda have made it difficult for leaders like me to pursue the reform and development agenda that our people deserve.”
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, in his letter, referenced his earlier departure from the APC in 2022 and noted that the political disagreements that prompted that move had since been resolved.
“Recall, on June 14, 2022, I withdrew my membership of the APC and resigned my position as Leader of the 9th Senate following political disagreements in my state,” he wrote. “I am happy to note that those disagreements have been effectively resolved by the incumbent governor.”
“I, therefore, have no reason whatsoever not to go back to the APC, particularly since I am one of the major architects of its formation and successes. For me, going back to the APC is a homecoming. It is also politically imperative for me to join President Bola Tinubu.”
In his own letter, Senator Maidoki attributed his decision to ongoing internal crises within the PDP and a stronger alignment with the policy direction of the APC.
“This will enable me to participate fully in the Renewed Hope agenda for the benefit of my senatorial district and Nigeria at large,” he said.
Daily Trust reports that the defection of the three Kebbi senators is the latest in a string of high-profile exits from the PDP, amid the APC’s strategic push to woo opposition heavyweights ahead of the 2027 general elections.
With their defection, the APC now commands a clear majority in the Senate with 68 seats. The PDP holds 30, Labour Party (LP) has five, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) two, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) one seat each.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to conduct by-elections to fill the vacancies left by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South), who died last year, and Senator Monday Okpebholo (Edo Central), who became Governor of Edo State following his victory in the 2024 governorship election.
