As the race toward the 2027 general elections begins to gather steam, cracks are widening in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), with a prominent party loyalist, Adamu Garba, raising concerns over an escalating wave of defections in Northern Nigeria.
Garba, a former lawmaker and strong ally of President Bola Tinubu, expressed alarm during a live appearance on #MukTV, lamenting the mass movement of APC and PDP members into the African Democratic Congress (ADC) — a party he described as quietly but aggressively building a national coalition capable of shaking the status quo.
It’s becoming too serious to ignore. Northern politicians—grassroots leaders, youth coordinators, former lawmakers—are dumping APC and PDP in droves for ADC,” Garba said. “We are losing vital political ground and the silence from our party leadership is deeply troubling.”The outspoken APC stalwart noted that the defections are not isolated events but part of a coordinated political migration, especially in key states like Kano, Borno, Katsina, Kebbi, and Kaduna—states that once formed the backbone of APC’s electoral victories.
If the current trend continues unchecked, APC may lose its stronghold in the North. The ADC is exploiting our internal divisions, and our leaders are watching without a plan,” he warned.Garba attributed the crisis to a cocktail of internal wrangling, poor reward systems within the party, and growing dissatisfaction among youth and regional stakeholders who feel marginalized. He admitted that the ADC is succeeding where the APC is failing: in inclusivity, message control, and grassroots mobilization.
Observers say the ADC is gradually emerging as a credible third force, especially following recent alliances with disgruntled elements from both APC and PDP. The party’s message of “resetting Nigeria” is resonating with many young people and political outliers who are tired of recycled leadership.
The ADC, in a statement reacting to the wave of high-profile defections, described the trend as “a national awakening”, saying the party is poised to bring a fresh, people-focused alternative in 2027.> “What we are witnessing is a quiet revolution.
The old parties have failed the people. The ADC offers a new political home for every Nigerian who believes in real change,” the party noted.With 2027 inching closer, the political terrain is becoming increasingly volatile, and if warnings like Garba’s are anything to go by, the APC may need to move quickly to contain the growing political hemorrhage—or risk being swept aside by the new wave.
