Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a significant political shift ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sambo, who served as Vice President under President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2015, was received into the APC by key stakeholders during a ceremony held at the Kaduna State Government House on Wednesday. The event was attended by Governor Uba Sani and other senior APC officials who welcomed him and pledged to ensure his integration into the party’s structure at both state and national levels.
The defection was confirmed by APC stalwart Imran Muhammad through his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, where he hailed the development as a major gain for the ruling party.
Sambo’s move is considered a blow to the PDP, the platform on which he rose to national prominence. Although he had maintained a relatively quiet political profile since leaving office in 2015, his switch to the APC comes at a time when the opposition party is grappling with internal divisions and a wave of high-profile defections.
Alongside Sambo, several of his political associates, including former Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Sani Sidi, also joined the APC. Their entry is expected to strengthen the ruling party’s presence in Kaduna State, a politically strategic region in northern Nigeria.
While Sambo has not yet issued a personal statement, his presence at the official event suggests a clear commitment to align with the APC moving forward.
Political observers say Sambo’s defection could influence further realignments within Kaduna politics and potentially reshape northern political alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.
