Former Kano Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has formally defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring his commitment to the party’s success in the 2027 general elections.
Shekarau announced his decision on Sunday, stating that the move followed extensive consultations, prayers, and deliberations with his political associates and supporters.
He described the APC as the most viable platform currently capable of addressing the needs of Nigerians.
“We have fervently prayed, deliberated on our movement, and made serious consultations across the board before arriving at this decision.
We have finally agreed to decamp to the APC, which today stands as the best party that cares for Nigerians,” he said.
The former Minister of Education explained that his decision was backed by key structures within his political fold, including members of the Shura Council, the elders’ committee, and other stakeholders. According to him, the consensus among his loyalists made the defection inevitable.
Shekarau noted that several political options were considered before settling for the APC, describing it as the most practical choice after concluding that the PDP had lost its relevance.
“We weighed several options after realizing that the PDP has permanently crashed as a political party.
“The decision to join the APC emerged as the most acceptable among all the alternatives we considered,” he stated.
He also dismissed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a credible alternative, citing internal instability and leadership struggles within the party.
“We cannot rely on the ADC, a party filled with people driven by personal interests, struggling to find its footing, and currently facing serious legal and leadership challenges,” Shekarau added.
Shekarau assured that he and his supporters would work diligently to ensure the APC’s victory in the 2027 elections, describing their defection as a strategic and final political decision.
Also defecting alongside him was the Northwest PDP Chairman, Bello Hayattu Gwarzo, who attributed their departure to the declining fortunes of the PDP.
He pointed to recent bye-elections in Ekiti and Ondo states, where the party failed to feature prominently, as evidence of its weakening structure.
“For the fact that the PDP could not even make it to the list of participating parties in recent bye-elections shows that remaining in the party is a risk. We decided that decamping is the best option,” Gwarzo said.
