Binani defects to ADC after fallout with APC leadership

|By Adejumo Adekunle-

…Ex-Adamawa governorship candidate seeks new political base
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Senator Aishatu Ahmed Binani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2023 Adamawa election, has formally dumped the party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), signaling a fresh political path ahead of 2027.

Her media aide, Maulud Usman, confirmed the defection Sunday afternoon, noting that Binani flew into Yola on Saturday and privately announced the move to a few family members and close associates. The declaration, according to Usman, was a quiet affair with no media presence.

Social media had been awash Sunday morning with reports of the high-profile defection, but official confirmation was initially unavailable until Usman addressed the situation. He said Binani, who represented Adamawa Central in the Senate during the last election cycle, would return to Yola soon to formally identify with her new party in a more public and elaborate manner.

Binani lost the 2023 governorship election narrowly to incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but her departure from the APC was long anticipated due to internal party tensions. Observers say she has endured strained relations with the state chapter of the APC, especially over what many described as the party’s “undue loyalty” to Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the current National Security Adviser (NSA).

Ribadu, seen as the de facto APC leader in Adamawa due to his federal appointment, had vied for the party’s governorship ticket in 2023 but lost to Binani. Speculations have since persisted about Ribadu’s future political ambitions, either to contest again or to handpick a candidate for the 2027 elections—an ambition Binani was reportedly uncomfortable with.

Her move to the ADC may set the stage for a political realignment in Adamawa, as the state gradually shifts into pre-2027 election mode.