The political landscape in Kaduna State shifted on Friday, January 9, 2026, as Alhaji Muhammad Usman, a former Commissioner for Education, officially defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Usman, who served under the previous administration, announced his decision at a press conference in Kaduna, citing “internal exclusion” and the “departure from the party’s founding principles” as his primary reasons for leaving.
Welcomed by the ADC State Chairman and other party stalwarts, Usman stated that his move was not just a change of platform but a search for a more “people-centered” political ideology. He criticized the current state of the APC in Kaduna, alleging that the party had become a “closed shop” where loyalists were being sidelined in favor of a narrow circle of interests. He promised to lead thousands of his supporters across the 23 local government areas of the state into his new party.
The ADC leadership described Usman’s defection as a “major catch” that signals the party’s growing influence in Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections. Political analysts suggest that this move could trigger a wave of further defections from the APC in Kaduna, especially among aggrieved members who served during the Mallam Nasir El-Rufai era. As of Saturday, the Kaduna State chapter of the APC has yet to issue a formal reaction to the high-profile exit.
