Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A former governorship aspirant of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Kaduna State has resigned from the party and crossed over to the All Progressives Congress, dealing another blow to the NDC's preparations for the 2027 elections.
Yusuf Zariyi Madaki announced his resignation on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at a press conference in Kaduna. He also sent a formal resignation letter to the party's state chairman, Evangelist Mordecai Ibrahim. In his letter, he asked the party to remove his name from its records immediately.
Madaki said his decision to leave the NDC was not a sudden one. He had joined the party hoping it would give him the platform to push for good governance, justice, and better living conditions for Nigerians. But his experience inside the party convinced him otherwise.
“Having been an advocate for justice and good governance over the years, I took a decision to step into politics. This decision was conceived as a moral duty in pursuit of all I have ever stood for and still stand for,” he said in his statement.
He pointed to the chaos that surrounded the party's governorship primary as one of the reasons he lost faith in the NDC. The infighting, the shifting alliances, and the unresolved disputes over who should be the party's flag bearer left him with no confidence that the NDC could deliver what it promised.
Madaki also recalled that he had stepped aside from his own governorship ambition to support Senator Danjuma La'ah, hoping that the move would bring unity to the party and serve the interest of Southern Kaduna. That sacrifice, he said, did not change the party's direction.
“Through my experiences, consultations and engagements as a governorship aspirant under the NDC in Kaduna, the controversies surrounding the party's primaries, to the moment I sacrificed my ambition in favour of Senator Danjuma La'ah for the interest of the people of Southern Kaduna and the state in general, I have now arrived at a critical moment of decision to resign my membership of the party today,” he said.
His resignation comes at a time when the NDC is still struggling to present a clear candidate for the 2027 Kaduna governorship race. Just days before Madaki's exit, the party's state chairman had admitted that the NDC had not yet settled on a governorship candidate, despite competing claims from different aspirants. Madaki was one of four aspirants who had shown interest in the ticket.
Madaki said his decision was not about personal ambition. He described his entry into politics as a moral duty rooted in years of community work, advocacy for the oppressed, and a desire to shape policies that would improve lives. He said he represents women, children, and anyone who has been denied fairness.
“Power in itself is not an end; it is a means to basically make better the lives of people,” he said.
He did not immediately announce his next political move, but sources confirm he has already joined the APC. He said he would continue to consult widely and would soon make his next steps public.
Madaki's exit is the latest sign of internal strain within the NDC in Kaduna. The party had earlier seen two other aspirants, Ibrahim Abdulkarim and Zariyi Madaki himself, withdraw from the governorship race in favour of La'ah during a consensus meeting at the party's national secretariat. Despite that, the party has failed to present a united front.
Madaki made it clear that his resignation was not a political calculation but a decision guided by his values. “In my consultations, experiences in the NDC and critical judgement, my pursuit for good governance and a better Nigeria cannot be actualized on the NDC platform,” he said.
He urged his supporters to stay engaged at the grassroots level and promised that his commitment to community development would continue, no matter which party he belongs to.
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