PDP, NDC Members Defect to APC in Jigawa as ‘Tinubu Must Stay’ Campaign Hits Grassroots

By Beatrice Gondyi

A wave of defections has hit Jigawa State ahead of the 2027 general elections, with members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) crossing over to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defectors were formally received in Garun Gabas Ward, Malam Madori Local Government Area, during the inauguration of a grassroots campaign office for President Bola Tinubu.

The event was led by Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), who also chairs the Board of Trustees and serves as National Coordinator of the Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Governance Foundation (TMS), popularly known as the “Tinubu Must Stay” Movement.

Speaking at the event, the defectors said their decision was influenced by development interventions in their communities, particularly projects facilitated through NITDA, which they said had strengthened their confidence in the administration’s development agenda.

The occasion drew a large crowd of APC chieftains, community leaders, women, youths, and supporters who chanted “Tinubu Must Stay” through the streets.

Abdullahi explained that the TMS Movement was designed to take the President’s reform message to the grassroots ahead of the 2027 elections and Tinubu’s anticipated re-election bid. He noted that since assuming office, the President had prioritised economic diversification and inclusivity as pillars of national prosperity.

He highlighted the administration’s interventions in education, agriculture, food security, national security, digital literacy, and healthcare, saying they were aimed at stimulating growth and improving livelihoods.

Drawing comparisons with South Korea, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia, Abdullahi stressed that sustained reforms and policy continuity were key to Nigeria’s ability to compete with emerging economies. He therefore urged residents to turn out en masse to deliver a landslide victory for Tinubu in 2027.

The TMS National Coordinator also announced plans to empower another 200 women in Garun Gabas Ward, building on an earlier programme in Hadejia where beneficiaries received financial assistance, sewing machines, bakery equipment, and agricultural inputs.

He said the movement would continue to prioritise women, youths, children, and persons with disabilities through empowerment, educational support, and community development.

Alhaji Tanko Ahmad, APC Chairman in Malam Madori LGA, commended Abdullahi for facilitating digital infrastructure projects, including an ICT Development Centre at Government Secondary School, Garun Gabas, which he said had widened educational opportunities for young people.

He pledged continued support for the TMS initiative and assured that party structures would intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of 2027.

Engineer Hashim Suleiman, TMS Convener in Garun Gabas, described the turnout as proof of growing grassroots acceptance of the movement.

He expressed confidence in the administration’s economic direction, citing developments in the financial and petroleum sectors, and urged empowerment beneficiaries to use the support productively.

He noted that the movement, launched in the UK and later in Abuja, was now reaching community ward level, with more grassroots engagements expected.