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In a dramatic political earthquake shaking Yobe State, the entire structure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has collapsed into the waiting arms of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), leaving only the PDP’s Deputy National Chairman (North), Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, as the party’s lone ranger in the state.
The mass defection, which took place over the weekend, involved state executives, local government officials, ward leaders, and hundreds of grassroots mobilizers, who jointly declared their exit from the PDP in what they called a “move to rescue Yobe from political dormancy.”
Flanked by ADC chieftains at a well-attended rally in Damaturu, former PDP State Chairman Sani Bello described the move as “long overdue,” accusing the national leadership of the PDP of “abandoning the North and suffocating internal democracy.”
“We have collectively lost confidence in the PDP. Our new political home, the ADC, offers us a platform for transparency, inclusion, and true representation of Yobe’s interest,” Bello told cheering supporters.
Political observers say the exodus marks the final collapse of PDP’s relevance in Yobe, a state where it once held significant sway but gradually lost ground due to what insiders blame on disconnected national leadership and poor conflict resolution.
Ironically, the only prominent PDP member left standing is Ambassador Damagum himself — a son of Yobe — now left without a home front, raising questions about his legitimacy to continue serving as Deputy National Chairman North of a party that has no visible footprint in his own state.
The ADC, buoyed by the new wave of defectors, has promised to reposition itself as a formidable opposition in Yobe ahead of the 2027 general elections.
ADC State Chairman, Mohammed Umar, said:
“Today marks a new beginning for our party in Yobe. With the political machinery of the PDP now with us, the game has changed.”
Reactions have poured in from across the political spectrum, with some hailing the defection as a bold realignment, while others see it as the final nail in the coffin for PDP’s future in the North-East.
The PDP national leadership is yet to officially respond to the defection. However, party insiders say emergency meetings are being considered to “review the situation.”
For now, the message from Yobe is loud and clear: the PDP ship has sunk—and Ambassador Damagum might be the last man on deck.
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