PDP Crisis Deepens as Defections to APC Mount Ahead of 2027 Elections
Kebbi State’s political landscape is undergoing a dramatic recalibration as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faces mounting pressure following a series of high-profile defections and dwindling federal representation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
PulseNets learned that the party, once widely regarded as a dominant platform within Kebbi’s power structure, has struggled to maintain visibility after losing critical federal seats and witnessing a steady migration of its heavyweights to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The party’s weakening grip became unmistakable in 2025 when its three serving senators, Adamu Aliero, Yahaya Abdullahi and Garba Maidoki, defected to the APC. Their exit reshaped Kebbi’s political arithmetic and left the PDP without Senate representation, intensifying concerns about its ability to function as an effective opposition force in the state.
Political observers who spoke to PulseNets described the senators’ departure as a structural rupture within the opposition’s framework. For years, the trio had been viewed as central pillars of the PDP’s machinery in Kebbi.
With its Senate presence erased, the party’s federal visibility is now largely anchored on Ibrahim Bello Mohammed, representing Birnin Kebbi/Kalgo/Bunza Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, making him one of the few remaining PDP lawmakers from the state at the National Assembly.
In September 2025, the PDP conducted ward congresses across Kebbi’s 21 local government areas, electing new executives and delegates. However, PulseNets learnt that since those congresses, there have been no major statewide mobilisation drives, strategic town hall engagements, or expansive grassroots campaigns publicly driven by the re-elected state chairman, Alhaji Usman Bello.
Although the state chapter took a firm stance by boycotting the party’s national convention in November 2025 over disputes concerning the selection of a national chairman, analysts who spoke to PulseNets argued that beyond that protest, the PDP’s footprint in Kebbi’s political space has remained subdued.
Wave of defections intensifies pressure
The internal strain deepened in December 2025 when more than 1,500 PDP members from the Zuru Emirate defected to the APC. PulseNets obtained that the defectors were formally received in Birnin Kebbi by the APC state chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kana-Zuru.
Sources told PulseNets that the mass defection was linked to what the departing members described as the performance of the APC-led administration in infrastructure delivery, security management and statewide development initiatives.
A similar development unfolded in September 2025 when hundreds of PDP members from Yauri, Shanga and Ngaski local government areas crossed over to the APC. They were officially welcomed by Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris.
The trend also reached the PDP women’s wing. Former National Women Leader of the party, Mariya Waziri, defected to the APC in February 2026 alongside other executives, citing confidence in the administration’s developmental trajectory. Her exit was widely interpreted as symbolic due to her longstanding influence within the PDP structure.
Despite the wave of defections, PulseNets reported that the Kebbi PDP leadership has continued to reassure members about party cohesion.
When contacted, Usman Bello told PulseNets that the PDP remains “one indivisible entity” across all 21 local government areas and urged supporters to stay focused. He maintained that defections are inherent to democratic politics and expressed confidence that the party would reorganise and rebound before the 2027 polls.
Addressing the crisis, the PDP State Publicity Secretary, Sani Dododo, acknowledged the turbulence but insisted recovery efforts were underway.
“We have lost key members, no doubt. But political history shows that parties can rebuild.
What we need now is aggressive grassroots engagement, reconciliation and clarity of vision,” Dododo told PulseNets.
Conversely, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Kebbi State Governor, Yahaya Sarki, described the PDP as increasingly marginal in the state’s political matrix. He attributed the steady defections to what he termed the “visible performance” of the Idris administration, arguing that the APC’s expansion reflects growing public endorsement of governance and inclusive leadership.
Analysts weigh 2027 prospects
A political science lecturer at the Federal University Birnin Kebbi told PulseNets that while the PDP’s current silence appears pronounced, political dynamics remain fluid.
“Politics is dynamic. Today’s dominance does not automatically translate into tomorrow’s victory. The PDP still has structures, but it must act fast to regain visibility and credibility,” he said.
At present, PulseNets learnt that no prominent opposition figure within the Kebbi PDP commands statewide momentum comparable to the influence once exercised by the party’s former senatorial heavyweights.
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Attention has instead shifted to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who is the gubernatorial aspirant of the African Democratic Congress in Kebbi. Political watchers told PulseNets that while his ambition could reshape the opposition terrain, ongoing EFCC investigations have reportedly constrained his gubernatorial campaign.
Malami, who also serves as the ADC’s state leader, possesses an established structural base. However, PulseNets observed that the PDP currently lacks comparable leadership visibility as the 2027 general elections approach.
For a party that once commanded significant political capital in Kebbi State, the months ahead are likely to determine whether this period reflects strategic recalibration or signals a prolonged decline within the state’s opposition politics.
