Maccido Dumps PDP for ADC After Sokoto Senatorial Withdrawal
Ahmed Maccido, the PDP's Sokoto North Senatorial candidate, has withdrawn from the 2027 race and joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC). His defection, facilitated by Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has prompted questions from the Sokoto State PDP chairman regarding the timing and potential external influence, amid ongoing political realignments for the 2027 elections.
Former Senator Ahmed Maccido, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Sokoto North Senatorial District, has defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after withdrawing from the 2027 senatorial contest on the PDP platform. Maccido was presented to ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar by former Sokoto State governor and ADC leader in the state, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, during a meeting in Abuja attended by ADC leaders and stakeholders from Sokoto.
His move came days after he formally notified the PDP of his withdrawal in a September 30, 2026 letter, in which he described the decision as voluntary and made without external pressure. The development has raised questions within the Sokoto PDP, with state chairman Hayattu Tafida expressing concern over the timing of Maccido’s withdrawal and suggesting that other political forces may have influenced the decision. Asked whether he suspected external pressure, Tafida said, “Obviously, there is,” but he did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation.
He said Maccido remained a politically influential figure with a strong support base in Sokoto North and Sokoto South, making his decision particularly significant, while also arguing that withdrawing after the primaries had made the process of replacing the candidate more difficult. Tafida said the PDP state leadership would deliberate on the withdrawal before forwarding the matter to the party’s national headquarters for further action.
He also dismissed suggestions that Maccido’s departure would trigger a wider wave of defections, saying he did not expect other PDP candidates to follow him. Maccido’s move adds to the ongoing political realignments in Sokoto ahead of the 2027 elections, with the PDP, ADC and APC repositioning their structures and courting influential politicians across the state.