Senator Samaila Dahuwa Kaila Defects from PDP to APC

Senator Samaila Dahuwa Kaila, representing Bauchi North Senatorial District, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defection took place on Tuesday during plenary at the Senate Chamber in Abuja. Kaila’s announcement was formally received by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who welcomed him to the ruling party.

In his defection letter read on the floor of the Senate, Senator Kaila cited internal crises and irreconcilable divisions within the PDP in Bauchi State as the main reasons for his decision to join the APC.

Welcoming the new entrant, Senate President Akpabio commended Kaila’s decision and described it as “a move in the right direction,” adding that the APC remains a party committed to national progress and unity.

The defection further strengthens the APC’s presence in the upper chamber, particularly in the North-East region, as political alignments continue to shift ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Senator Kaila’s move has already begun to generate significant political ripple effects in Bauchi State, where the PDP holds the gubernatorial seat. Political analysts suggest that while the defection gives the APC a clear boost and strengthens its opposition role in the state, it simultaneously presents a challenge to the incumbent PDP administration, potentially signaling a tougher contest in future state and local elections. The state chapter of the PDP is yet to issue an official statement, but party faithful have taken to social media to express disappointment, while local APC leaders have already begun celebrating what they describe as a strategic coup.

In addition to strengthening the APC’s numerical dominance in the Senate, Kaila’s defection carries significant political weight as he is a first-term senator elected on the PDP’s platform in the 2023 elections. His official letter specifically lauded President Bola Tinubu’s “bold and transformative reforms,” aligning his move with the national policy agenda and suggesting a desire for greater synergy with the federal government. Conversely, the PDP Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, who is also the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, had recently decried the trend of defections, describing the action of those leaving the party as “cowardly” and politically motivated by personal calculations, which highlights the national party’s deep concern over its dwindling ranks.