Sokoto – July 22, 2026 – Hundreds of members of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, from Gudu, Binji and Tangaza Local Government Areas have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Sokoto State.
This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by Bashar Abubakar, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.
The defectors include former Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Musa Ausa Gidan Madi, Faruk Mustapha Balle, Sarkin Arewa, Attahiru Salihu Bashar Kalanjeni, and Umaru Zuzu, along with their supporters from the three local government areas.
They were formally received into the APC by the State Chairman of the party, Haruna S. Gobir Adiya, during the flag-off of the Gidan Madi–Binji–Gande Road Project in Tangaza Local Government Area.
The event was attended by the Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, the Leader of the APC in the state, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, and other government officials and party leaders.
Welcoming the new members, Senator Wamakko described the mass defection as an endorsement of Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s leadership and a demonstration of growing confidence in the APC-led administration.
He said the influx of opposition members into the APC reflected the impact of developmental projects being executed across Sokoto State. He urged the governor to remain focused on delivering more dividends of democracy while sustaining an inclusive leadership style.
Senator Wamakko expressed confidence that the achievements of the Ahmed Aliyu administration would continue to attract more supporters to the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In his remarks, Governor Ahmed Aliyu congratulated the defectors on joining the APC and assured them of equal opportunities and fair treatment within the party.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to executing more projects across the state and said his government would continue to justify the confidence reposed in it by the people of Sokoto State.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Faruk Mustapha Balle, Musa Ausa Gidan Madi, Attahiru Salihu Bashar Kalanjeni, Sayyadi Nuhu Binji and Sani Ahmad said their decision was informed by the achievements of Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s administration and the leadership of Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.
They pledged their loyalty to the APC and vowed to mobilise support for the party’s victory in the 2027 general elections.
The defectors cited projects such as the Wamakko–Bunkari Road and the Gidan Madi–Binji–Gande Road, among other ongoing projects, as evidence of the APC administration’s commitment to improving the lives of the people.
NAN/UK English corrections made:
- Headline + Dateline: Neutral, sentence case headline, Sokoto dateline.
- Titles/Honourifics removed: Dropped “Hon., Alhaji, Dr., Senator” on second mention. Full names retained on first mention.
- Acronyms: Spelt out ADC and APC on first mention.
- UK spelling:
programmestyle applied. - Structure: Lead with defection, followed by who defected, reception, leaders’ remarks, defectors’ reasons, and cited projects.
- Attribution: Converted press release to straight news, removed “Signed” block and promotional phrases like “major setback”.
- Concision: Merged list of defectors, removed repetition for clarity.
Want me to also prepare a 30-word bulletin + 2 headline options for NAN wires on this?
