The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kebbi State has received more than 10,000 defectors from the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, including several local government party chairmen and political stakeholders.

The defectors were formally received on Tuesday at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi by Governor Nasir Idris, who assured them of equal treatment and full integration into the ruling party.

Addressing the gathering, the governor described the APC as a party open to all and urged the new members to work with existing party leaders to strengthen the party ahead of future elections.

The governor further called on APC leaders across the state to embrace the new members and ensure their full participation in party activities.

Speaking on behalf of supporters of ADC chieftain Senator Garba Musa Maidoki, Bello Doya said the group decided to join the APC to support the developmental programmes of the Idris administration, which he described as transparent and people-oriented.

In a related development, the Chairman of the PDP Local Government Chairmen’s Association in Kebbi State also defected to the APC alongside other party officials.

Responding on behalf of the PDP defectors, the Chairman of Bunza Local Government Area, Bello Manti, said they were motivated by the governor’s performance and inclusive style of leadership.

Among the prominent defectors were the PDP chairmen of Dandi, Koko/Besse, Arewa, Zuru, Ngaski, Yauri, Shanga, Danko-Wasagu, Sakaba and Aliero local government areas.

The elders’ caucus of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kwara State has shunned an invitation by the reconciliation committee constituted by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to resolve the intra-party crisis triggered by the recent party primaries in the state.

In a response to the request dated July 11, 2026, for an interactive session by the reconciliation committee headed by Colonel Abdulwahab Lawal (retd), the elders’ caucus of the party acknowledged receipt of the invitation but declared that “we regret that we will not be able to honour the invitation because we made frantic efforts at reconciliation within the party across the state but, unfortunately, His Excellency and the State Executive Committee of the APC rejected them.

“Formal letters that were written to that effect were also ignored,” the caucus stated, adding that “in addition to the various correspondences, the leadership of the state APC elders’ caucus also went to the Government House before the party primaries with the intention of deliberating on the state of the party, but the governor ignored them after they were kept waiting for about three hours.”

The elders’ caucus further alleged that “various letters written to the governor and the state chairman of the party on the above issues and the proposed reconciliation of party members were not responded to.

“From the foregoing, it is obvious that your committee was constituted by the Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, and the party as an afterthought. This is in view of the fact that they are the principal figures and the subject of the current crisis in the party.

“We believe that this is against the rule of law. A party to an issue cannot be a judge in his own case: Nemo judex in causa sua, according to the Latin maxim. Thus, the issue at stake is beyond the scope of your committee.

“Suffice it to let the committee know that we remain loyal to the APC as foundation members and, above all, to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement by Chief James Bamisaiye Ayenioye and Abdulmumin Sidiq Katibi, Chairman and General Secretary, respectively, of the elders’ caucus declared.

Gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 general elections, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has disclosed that unnecessary interference by governors is the main factor weakening the local government system in the country.

Alli made the declaration on Tuesday while delivering a keynote address at a conference marking the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Local Government Reforms in Nigeria.

DAILY POST reports that the conference was held at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in Osun State.

Alli, who once served as a local government chairman in Oyo State, explained that persistent political interference by governors is responsible for the slow development of local governments.

He also identified weak financial independence, poor governance structures, inadequate administrative capacity, and limited citizen participation as other problems facing the local government system in the country.

Speaking further, Alli advised state governors to stop unnecessary interference in matters relating to local government councils in their states.

The APC candidate also pledged full financial and administrative autonomy for local government councils if elected governor in 2027.

He said that empowering local governments would deepen democracy in the country.

He added that it would accelerate rural development, improve service delivery, and strengthen public confidence in governance.

Alli said, “Persistent political interference, weak financial independence, poor governance structures, inadequate administrative capacity and limited citizen participation have hindered their effectiveness.

“Empowering local governments will deepen democracy, accelerate rural development, improve service delivery and strengthen public confidence in governance.”