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The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe State, Alhaji Muhammad Gadaka, has withdrawn his controversial statement urging married women to leave their husbands if they are barred from voting for the ruling party in the 2027 general elections.
Gadaka, who also reportedly offered to pay bride price and marry any woman who left his marriage for his support for the APC, apologized to the public following the reaction generated by the remark. Project reports
In a 42-second video shared on Facebook by the Director-General of Press and Media Affairs to Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, Mamman Mohammed, the APC chairman said his earlier comment was simply a joke and did not reflect his stance on marriage.
“I retract my previous statement that any woman whose husband prevents her from voting for the APC should end her marriage and that I would marry her. I apologize to the public; I only said this in jest.”
Controversial observation at the defection event
Gadaka had made the initial comments on Thursday while addressing hundreds of people who had defected to the APC in Nangere town, as the party steps up grassroots mobilization ahead of the 2027 elections.
During the meeting, the Yobe APC Chairman reportedly told married women that they would have to leave their husbands if men attempted to stop them from voting for the APC.
He is also said to have pledged to pay the “new bride price” of any woman who ended her marriage because of his political loyalty to the party.
The comments quickly gained traction after a video of the event circulated on social media, sparking reactions from members of the public and religious commentators.
Reports said some residents and Islamic scholars criticized the statement as inflammatory and inappropriate, particularly because it appeared to place political allegiance over marital and family relationships.
Gadaka explains his intention
However, in his follow-up video, Gadaka sought to distance himself from any interpretation that he sincerely encouraged women to divorce their husbands due to political differences.
He described the remark as a form of “joking” and said it had been misunderstood.
According to him, the statement was rooted in what he described as an ancient practice of teasing among his Ngamo people and the Kare-Kare speaking community.
“My statement was just an ordinary joke and in no way represents the ideals that I support or intend to encourage divorce between married people,” he said.
He later apologized and formally retracted the statement.
“I apologize for my statement and hereby withdraw it,” the president added.
Backlash follows the viral video
The controversy over Gadaka’s comment came after the video of his remarks circulated widely, with several reports highlighting the part where he appeared to encourage women to leave marriage if their husbands opposed their decision to vote for the APC.
The comments attracted particular attention because they came from the president of a major state-level political party and were made during a political mobilization exercise ahead of the 2027 elections.
Critics have questioned the wisdom of a political leader linking marital relationships to voting preferences, while others have argued that political differences should not be allowed to create tensions within families.
The reaction also reflects the sensitivity of the issue in Yobe, where religious, cultural and family values hold an important place in public life.
Political mobilization in view of 2027
Gadaka’s original statement was made in the context of increased political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the APC and other political parties intensifying efforts to expand their support bases among communities.
The Nangere event was part of the APC’s grassroots mobilization efforts, with hundreds of people reportedly joining the ruling party.
The 2027 elections are expected to generate intense political competition as parties seek to consolidate their structures and attract new members, particularly from the grassroots.
As a result, political leaders used rallies, defections, and community engagements to strengthen their parties ahead of the polls.
In this context, Gadaka’s remarks quickly became the subject of political discussion, with the controversy overshadowing the event of the defection itself.
The President says the comment does not represent the position of the APC
With his subsequent withdrawal, Gadaka clarified that the controversial comment should not be interpreted as an official position of the APC or as a policy encouraging women to dissolve their marriages over political disagreements.
Reports of his apology indicate that he specifically emphasized that the comment did not represent the ideals he stood for and was not intended to encourage divorce.
The clarification came amid growing criticism and calls for greater restraint from political leaders in addressing sensitive social and religious issues during political campaigns.
The retraction is expected to calm the controversy
Gadaka’s decision to retract the statement and apologize has now shifted focus from the original remarks to his explanation that they were made in jest.
The clarification from the Yobe APC chairman is likely to alleviate some of the criticism generated by the comment, particularly among those who interpreted the statement literally.
However, the episode highlighted the potential consequences of political rhetoric during the run-up to elections, especially when campaign messages touch on marriage, religion and family relationships.
For now, Gadaka has formally retracted the remark, insisting that he never intended to encourage married women to divorce their husbands over political differences and describing his previous comments as nothing more than a joke.
