The Bauchi State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), over the weekend, received thousands of defectors from various political parties including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), People’s Redemption Party (PRP) and Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
The figure, according to the APC, was no less than 157,000 members of various political parties, increasing the strength of the APC and increasing its popularity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The defectors were formally welcomed into the APC during a major party meeting held in Azare where party leaders, stakeholders and their supporters gathered to welcome the new members.
Speaking on the occasion, the Bauchi State APC Leader and Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the new members had been formally admitted into the APC, with their details documented as registered members of the party.
Ali Pate described the mass defection as a demonstration of growing confidence in the APC and its leadership in Bauchi State. He called on old and new party members to work together as one family, stressing that unity, mutual respect and compromise would be crucial to the party’s success in future elections.
The minister also urged the people of Bauchi State to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s candidacy for a second term in 2027, saying the president’s administration had implemented several beneficial projects and programs for the state.
He maintained that Tinubu’s achievements in various sectors justified his re-election and urged APC members to mobilize support for the president ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Also speaking, the 2027 APC governorship candidate in Bauchi State and former governor, Barrister Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar, SAN, urged members to put aside their differences and strengthen unity within the party.
Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar said the increasing number of new members joining the APC presented both an opportunity and a responsibility for the party, urging defectors to consider themselves full members of the APC family.
He also appealed to the old members to welcome the new members and work with them to build a stronger political structure across the state.
According to him, “unity would be critical for effective popular mobilization and to ensure that the APC remains competitive in all parts of Bauchi State.”
Speaking on behalf of the new members, the vice-governorship running mate, the Hon. Farouq Mustapha appreciated the welcome extended to the defectors and described his return to the APC as a return home.
According to him, “I am a son of home, APC is my home and I have returned home.”
He assured the party leadership that the new members were ready to contribute to the growth and success of the APC, while calling for cooperation between old and new members.
Farouq Mustapha, who announced the number of defectors, said the group had registered 157,000 new members across all political platforms it had approached.
“In all the parties I listed, from the APM to the NDC, we have a total of 157,000 people on our records. We did not just make noise; we quietly reached out and appealed to them, and those who found us worthy agreed to join us and align with the APC,” he said.
He urged APC members to embrace each other and avoid divisions, stressing that the success of the party would depend on unity, discipline and effective coordination.
The Azare meeting attracted APC Leaders, stakeholders, supporters and recently defected members, who pledged their commitment to the party and its programs in Bauchi State.
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