Former Kaduna State Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Sa’idu, has returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC), claiming that more than 200,000 members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have joined him in the political move.
Sa’idu, who previously served as Chief of Staff to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, announced the defection during a reception organised for the defectors in Zaria on Saturday. He was accompanied by prominent political associates and supporters who also left the ADC for the ruling party.
The former commissioner described the development as a major setback for the ADC in Kaduna State, insisting that the party had lost much of the political structure and influence it previously enjoyed.
Among those associated with the defection were former ADC governorship aspirant Alhaji Jafaru Sani and former Commissioner for Finance, Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari.
Bashir Sa’idu also said several support groups and individuals who were not formally registered members of the ADC had joined the movement.
Speaking at the gathering, Bashir Sa’idu explained that his organisation, Kaduna De-Initiatives, had invested considerable effort in building the ADC’s political structure across the state.
He said members of the group participated in establishing the party’s presence from the ward level through local government areas to the state level following its congresses.
According to him, the organisation contributed significantly to the party’s growth but eventually became dissatisfied with the way its affairs were being managed.
Sa’idu alleged that some individuals who joined the ADC after its initial development had taken control of the party, leaving those who helped establish its structures feeling marginalised.
He further claimed that the party’s leadership had become concentrated around the interests of a particular family, a situation he said his group could no longer accept.
The former commissioner explained that the disagreement prompted members of Kaduna De-Initiatives to examine their political options, including a comparison of candidates produced by the ADC and APC during their respective primaries.
He maintained that the differences between the candidates influenced their decision to return to the APC.
Following the assessment, Bashir Sa’idu said the group’s steering committee held an emergency meeting and resolved to leave the ADC.
He described the decision as a return to familiar political territory, arguing that his associates had previously contributed to building the APC before their involvement with the opposition party.
Sa’idu claims over 200,000 ADC members have joined APC
Providing an account of the defection, Bashir Sa’idu said approximately 100,000 registered ADC members had moved with his group by about a month before the reception.
He added that more than 100,000 additional people had reportedly joined the APC between then and the date of the event, bringing the claimed total to over 200,000.
However, the membership figures were presented by Sa’idu, and independent verification of the number of defectors was not provided in the account of the event.
The former Chief of Staff argued that the departure of his group had considerably weakened the ADC’s position in Kaduna State.
He described his associates as a major component of the opposition and claimed that the party would struggle to remain politically competitive following their exit.
Sa’idu went further to predict that the ADC would finish third in the next election, although the outcome will depend on the choices of voters and the performance of the participating parties.
Uba Sani welcomes political defectors
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani welcomed Sa’idu and the other defectors, describing their return to the APC as a positive development for the state and the country.
The governor praised the former commissioner as a principled politician who follows through on decisions once he has reached a conclusion.
Sani said he had remained confident that Sa’idu would eventually return to the APC, despite his earlier decision to join the ADC.
He also commended Jafaru Sani, describing him as a dependable individual with considerable experience in public service.
The governor used the occasion to reassure new members that they would have equal opportunities within the APC, regardless of when they joined the party.
According to him, the party should not create divisions between longstanding members and those who recently defected.
Sani cited himself, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas and APC North-West Zonal Vice Chairman Garba Datti Babawo as examples of party members who should work together without considering themselves more important than others.
He maintained that every member should be free to pursue political ambitions within the party, stressing that unity and fairness were necessary for its continued growth.
APC raises Kaduna vote target to three million
The governor also disclosed that the party had increased its projected vote target for Kaduna State ahead of the next elections.
Sani said the APC had previously planned to secure two million votes but had now raised the target to three million following the latest political developments.
He put the state’s registered voter population at approximately 4.6 million and claimed that 96 per cent of registered voters had collected their Permanent Voter Cards.
The governor said the party would intensify its grassroots mobilisation, with members expected to visit communities and households across the state to persuade residents to support its candidates.
He expressed confidence that the APC could secure victories across the different levels of government, including the presidential, legislative and state contests.
Sani also appealed to Kaduna residents to support President Bola Tinubu and other APC candidates, citing federal projects and political appointments as evidence of the administration’s commitment to the state.
He specifically referenced the emergence of Tajudeen Abbas as Speaker of the House of Representatives, alongside other appointments given to Kaduna indigenes.
According to the governor, continued electoral support for the APC would demonstrate the state’s appreciation of the opportunities and projects provided by the Federal Government.
The defection ceremony highlighted the APC’s efforts to strengthen its political base in Kaduna State ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Nevertheless, the actual number of people who have switched parties, the ADC’s remaining organisational strength and the APC’s ability to achieve its three-million-vote target remain matters to be assessed independently as political activities gather momentum.