The All Progressives Congress has suffered another setback in the North-East as the lawmaker representing Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency of Borno State in the House of Representatives, Usman Midala Balami, defected to the Accord Party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Balami, who serves as Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Communications, announced his resignation from the APC in a letter dated June 15, 2026.
The letter, addressed to the APC and endorsed by the party’s ward chairman in Hawul Local Government Area, said the lawmaker’s decision followed consultations with political leaders, supporters, family members and associates.
“After due consultations with leaders across political parties, as well as friends, family and loved ones, I have found it necessary to tender my resignation from the All Progressives Congress with immediate effect,” Balami stated.
The lawmaker cited the conduct of the party’s primary elections as a major reason for his departure, alleging that the process failed to meet the standards of credibility, fairness and transparency.
According to him, the process denied aspirants equal opportunities to participate, prompting him to opt out of the party’s primary election.
Despite his resignation, Balami expressed appreciation to the APC and its leadership for giving him the platform to serve, saying his time in the party contributed to his political growth and experience in public service.
His defection has now been formalised ahead of the 2027 elections, with his name appearing on the list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission as the Accord Party candidate for Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency.
Balami, while reacting to his emergence as the Accord candidate, thanked the party leadership, stakeholders and constituents for their support.
He also pledged to build on his achievements in the constituency if returned to the House of Representatives in 2027.
The development comes amid a series of defections involving politicians who have expressed dissatisfaction with the APC’s internal electoral processes.
Earlier, former Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Kabiru Mijinyawa, also resigned from the APC.
Mijinyawa, who represents Yola South Constituency in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, attributed his decision to the conduct of the APC’s House of Representatives primary.
The fourth-term lawmaker, who served as Speaker between 2015 and 2019, contested the APC primary for a House of Representatives seat but lost to former Rural Electrification Agency chief executive, Ahmad Salihijo.
Mijinyawa questioned the process in his resignation letter, saying he could no longer remain associated with what he described as an unfair and non-transparent process.
“I can no longer associate myself with a process that I consider unjustifiable and contrary to the ideals of democracy,” he stated.
Mijinyawa is reportedly heading to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), which has recently gained political attention in Adamawa following reports that former APC governorship aspirant Abdulrahman Haske joined the party and emerged as its governorship candidate.
The successive departures have added to the political realignments taking place ahead of the 2027 elections, with aggrieved aspirants and lawmakers exploring alternative platforms as parties position themselves for the forthcoming contests.
