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Kebbi Senator Maidoki has defected from the All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress, citing injustice within the ruling party. Senator Garba Musa Maidoki, who represents Kebbi South, announced the switch through a formal letter read on the Senate floor.
The move adds another name to a growing list of lawmakers reshuffling their party loyalties ahead of 2027, and it deepens the strain inside the APC’s structure in the North-West.
Why Kebbi Senator Maidoki left the APC
In his letter, Maidoki tied the decision to what he described as unfair treatment during the party’s primaries. “The APC has not exhibited its slogan as justice, peace, and unity,” he wrote, singling out events in Kebbi State during the just-concluded primary elections.
The complaint follows the APC’s disqualification of Maidoki and 46 other aspirants from its senatorial primaries. For the senator, that exclusion was the breaking point, and he framed his exit as a response to a process he believed shut him out unfairly.
How the defection was announced
Maidoki’s defection letter was read at plenary by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, the standard procedure for notifying the chamber of a member’s change of party. Reading the letter on the floor formally places the senator’s new affiliation on the legislative record.
The ADC has positioned itself as a destination for politicians disillusioned with the bigger parties, and it has absorbed several high-profile figures in recent months. Maidoki’s arrival strengthens its presence in the Senate as the opposition works to broaden its base.
A wider pattern
Defections have become a defining feature of the build-up to 2027. Disputes over primaries, denied tickets and internal power struggles continue to push lawmakers across party lines, often in both directions. Each high-profile exit tests how firmly the ruling party can hold its ranks before nominations are finalised.
For Kebbi State, the senator’s departure signals friction within the local APC machinery, particularly around how candidates were selected. Whether other aggrieved aspirants follow him will indicate how deep the discontent runs in the state chapter.
What it means going forward
Maidoki’s switch raises questions about the strength of his support base in Kebbi South and whether it will travel with him to the ADC. Constituency loyalty does not always follow a politician to a new platform, and the senator will need to rebuild structures under a different banner.
Reactions to the move
Defections by sitting senators always draw scrutiny because they alter the balance within the chamber and signal shifting loyalties on the ground. The APC has not publicly conceded the senator’s criticisms, and party officials in Kebbi are expected to respond as they manage the fallout from a disputed primary season.
For the ADC, absorbing an experienced legislator strengthens both its profile and its claim to be a viable home for aggrieved politicians. The party will hope the arrival encourages others who feel sidelined to consider the same path, broadening its footprint in the North-West ahead of the next cycle.
Nigeria’s constitution sets conditions under which lawmakers may change parties, often tied to a division or crisis within their original platform. Maidoki’s reference to the primaries and internal disputes appears aimed at situating his move within those provisions, though such defections occasionally trigger legal challenges over a member’s seat.
Viorah TV is reporting the defection neutrally, presenting the senator’s stated reasons without endorsing his account or that of the APC. As the parties firm up their candidates, more movement across party lines is likely, and Kebbi will be among the states to watch closely heading into the next election cycle.
