The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of using money and the promise of appointments to lure its candidates away less than three months before the elections.
The allegation
In a statement on Tuesday 20 October 2026, NDC spokesperson Osa Director said candidates who had left did so “obviously for pecuniary reasons” and were “never truly of us.” He called their departure “good riddance to bad rubbish” and described the APC’s tactics as “the last kicks of a dying horse.” He did not name the defectors or offer evidence of payments.
The party said it would hold fresh congresses to replace candidates who leave, in line with the Electoral Act 2026.
Who has gone
- Ibrahim Kashim, the NDC’s governorship candidate in Bauchi State, resigned from the party this week, amid speculation that he was heading to the APC.
- Senator Rufa’i Hanga (Kano Central) left the NDC in August and joined the APC in September. Kano is the home state of the NDC’s vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
- In late September, six House of Representatives candidates and three state assembly candidates from the NDC and the ADC, from Taraba, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Plateau, reportedly joined the APC. Their names were not made public, and the ADC later said they were never its members.
The APC
APC spokesperson Felix Morka asked for questions in writing and had not replied when the report was filed.
Why it matters
Defections after candidate lists are published can leave parties scrambling to fill slots before INEC’s deadlines, and they feed the opposition’s argument that the ruling party is using state resources to weaken its rivals, a charge the APC routinely denies.
