PDP, NDC members defect to APC as ‘Tinubu Must Stay’ spreads to Jigawa

By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA: Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and the Nigeria Democratic Congress NDC have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress APC in Jigawa State. They announced their defection in Garun Gabas Ward of Malam Madori Local Government Area at the inauguration of a grassroots campaign office for President Bola Tinubu, led by the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi.

Abdullahi and the Malam Madori APC leadership received the defectors who credited their decision to what they described as development interventions and improvements in their communities. They also singled out projects facilitated through NITDA, saying these had deepened their confidence in the administration’s development agenda. The event which was organised by the Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Governance Foundation TMS, popularly called the Tinubu Must Stay Movement, saw the llarge crowd of APC chieftains, community leaders, women, youths and other supporters chanting “Tinubu Must Stay” along the streets.

Abdullahi, who is Chairman of the TMS Board of Trustees and National Coordinator, said the movement was taking its message to the grassroots ahead of the 2027 general elections and Tinubu’s anticipated re-election bid. “The essence of creating the TMS Movement is to go down to the grassroots level to enlighten citizens on President Tinubu’s reforms.

He made it clear when he assumed office that economic diversification and inclusivity in attaining national prosperity are paramount to his reform agenda,” he said. He said the administration’s interventions in education, agriculture, food security, national security, digital literacy and healthcare were designed to stimulate economic growth and improve livelihoods.

Abdullahi cited South Korea, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia as countries whose experience showed the importance of sustained economic reforms and policy continuity. According to him, Nigeria needs consistent implementation of development policies to compete favourably with emerging economies. “On this note, I implore the people to come out en masse and ensure a landslide victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027,” he told the gathering.

The TMS National Coordinator also announced plans to empower another 200 women in Garun Gabas Ward. He said this would follow an earlier programme in Hadejia, where beneficiaries received financial assistance, sewing machines, bakery equipment, agricultural inputs and other support for small businesses. He said the movement would keep prioritising women, youths, children and persons with disabilities through economic empowerment, educational assistance and community development.

The APC Chairman in Malam Madori Local Government Area, Alhaji Tanko Ahmad, commended Abdullahi for facilitating digital infrastructure projects that have widened educational opportunities for young people. He highlighted the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Development Centre at Government Secondary School, Garun Gabas, which he described as a significant boost to digital literacy.

Ahmad pledged continued support for the TMS initiative and assured that party structures in the area would intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections. The TMS Convener in Garun Gabas, Engineer Hashim Suleiman, described the turnout as evidence of growing grassroots acceptance of the movement. He expressed confidence in the administration’s economic direction, citing developments in the financial and petroleum sectors as signs of improving prospects for investment and growth.

He urged beneficiaries of the empowerment programmes to use the assistance productively to build sustainable businesses. “As you know, the movement started some weeks ago. We started from the UK, launched it in Abuja, and now we are here at the community ward level. This is just the beginning, as more grassroots engagements are expected,” he said. END