Nasarawa PDP Leaders Defect to APC, Praise Gov. Sule’s Development Record
Several senior members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State have announced their defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing the tangible progress recorded under Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration.
Leading the delegation, Alhaji Mashi disclosed that he had been a PDP member since 1999 and, together with his supporters, decided to leave the opposition party after observing the leadership and developmental strides made by the Sule government.
He was accompanied by former youth leader Yahaya Jobe, former party elder from Karu Akuson Philip, and former women’s leader Christiana Ondah, who together represented a broader wave of PDP sympathizers opting to join the APC.
Mashi emphasized that the group constituted only a fraction of the many PDP members and backers who have chosen to align with the APC, and he thanked Governor Sule for the warm reception while pledging the defectors’ backing for his ongoing agenda.
The Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Kwanta Yakubu, who introduced the delegation, described the move as part of a rising trend of politicians previously unaffiliated with the APC now gravitating toward the party.
Yakubu linked the trend to the administration’s extensive infrastructure projects—roads, hospitals, schools and industrial zones—and its inclusive style of governance, which continues to attract supporters across party lines.
Responding to the visitors, Governor Sule welcomed the former PDP officials into the APC fold, noting that their arrival followed closely on the heels of another defection, that of Hajiya Farida Umar, and a prior visit by former national PDP officer Mohammed Sani a week earlier.
Sule said the string of defections underscores growing confidence in his government’s policies, but he reiterated that Nasarawa State belongs to all residents, irrespective of political affiliation, and that the dividends of democracy are meant for everyone.
He highlighted specific sectors where his administration has invested—road networks, healthcare facilities, educational institutions and emerging industries—and pointed to economic initiatives such as the “Diamond in the Rough” and “Renaissance” investment summits designed to spur investment and job creation.
The governor commended the defectors for their decision, assured them of his administration’s cooperation, and affirmed that his focus remains on delivering projects and policies that improve the livelihoods of all Nasarawans.