Chief Joel H. Madaki, a founding father and former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State, has formally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that the PDP is “politically dead” in the state.
Madaki announced his defection on Tuesday at Ribadu Square, Yola, during a grand reception organized in his honour by the APC. The event attracted several prominent figures, including former Deputy Governor Martins Babale, Senator Bello Tukur, Masi Garba, and Mustapha Atiku Ribadu.
APC leaders at the gathering hailed Madaki’s defection as a defining moment in Adamawa’s political landscape, describing it as “the final nail in the coffin of the PDP in the state.” They argued that with Madaki’s exit, the PDP had lost its moral and historical foundation. “What remains of the PDP is just a shell, which will finally be buried come 2027,” one of the leaders remarked.
Party stakeholders also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his “bold economic reforms” and the “gradual relief” being felt nationwide, insisting that the APC remains the only viable platform for Nigeria’s progress.
Explaining his decision to leave the PDP, Chief Madaki said it came after “deep reflection” on what he described as the party’s collapse of internal democracy and departure from its founding principles.
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“I will not allow myself to be a passenger in a sinking ship,” Madaki declared. “After consulting widely, I decided to pitch my tent with the APC — a party deliberate in its policies for the upliftment of Nigerians.”
The veteran politician recounted his role as one of the six founding fathers of the PDP in Adamawa, alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former President of the African Business Roundtable Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the late Governor Wilberforce Juta, the late Alhaji Ali Baba, and Professor Jibril Aminu.
He accused the PDP leadership of allowing self-interest, internal crises, and lack of vision to derail the party, saying these shortcomings had turned it into a shadow of its former self.
Madaki also lauded the appointment of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as National Security Adviser, describing it as a move that has placed Adamawa “at the pinnacle of national politics.”
Political observers say Madaki’s defection, given his stature as one of Adamawa’s most respected political figures, represents a significant boost for the APC as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.
