# Kaduna political defections from ADC to APC

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/kaduna-political-defections-from-adc-to-apc
> Updated: 2026-10-18T16:15:50.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 2.

Political shifts in Kaduna State have seen significant movement from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). 

In late September, Bashir Sa’idu, a former Chief of Staff and Commissioner of Finance, defected from the ADC to the APC. Sa’idu pledged to deliver 11 Local Government Areas within the Zazzau Emirate to the APC, claiming to have moved with approximately 10,000 supporters.

By mid-October, the scale of defections appeared to increase. Muhammad Sa’idu, another former Commissioner for Finance and ally of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, also defected to the APC. He characterized the ADC as “effectively dead” in Kaduna State, alleging the party had been hijacked by a specific family. Sa’idu reported that over 200,000 card-carrying ADC members had joined the APC, including prominent figures such as former Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari and former governorship aspirant Jafaru Sani.

## Claims

- Muhammad Sa’idu declared the African Democratic Congress (ADC) dead in Kaduna State. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- More than 200,000 card-carrying ADC members defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Jafaru Sani and former Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari defected to the APC alongside Sa’idu. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The Kaduna De-Initiatives group claimed to have built the ADC structure from the ward to the state level. (corroborated by 3 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-18: Kaduna politicians defect from ADC to APC

Former Kaduna Commissioner Muhammad Sa’idu has defected to the APC, claiming over 200,000 ADC members are joining the ruling party and declaring the ADC dead in Kaduna State.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/kaduna-politicians-defect-from-adc-to-apc

### 2026-09-25: Bashir Sa’idu pledges 11 Zazzau LGAs to APC following defection

Former Kaduna Chief of Staff Bashir Sa’idu has defected from the ADC to the APC, pledging to deliver 11 Local Government Areas in the Zazzau Emirate to the ruling party with 10,000 supporters.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bashir-saidu-pledges-zazzau-emirate-to-apc

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Cite as: Kaduna political defections from ADC to APC. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/kaduna-political-defections-from-adc-to-apc