A top APC official in Yobe State has sparked massive controversy after telling married women to leave their husbands over party loyalty — and Nigerians are not taking it lightly.
—
As the 2027 general elections begin to cast their long shadow over Nigeria’s political landscape, the desperation for votes is already reaching alarming — and frankly bizarre — levels. Mohammed Gadaka, the APC chairman in Yobe State, has stirred a serious hornets’ nest after telling married women at a campaign event to divorce their husbands if those husbands dare instruct them not to vote for the All Progressives Congress.
You read that right.
What Exactly Did He Say?
While addressing supporters at what was described as a campaign gathering, Gadaka reportedly urged women in the crowd to prioritise their party loyalty over their marriages. His message was clear — if your husband says “no APC,” then show him the door.
For a region like Yobe, where cultural and religious values place enormous weight on the sanctity of marriage and family structure, this statement has landed like a thunderbolt in a dry harmattan season.
Nigerians React — As You Would Expect
It does not take a prophet to know that a statement like this would send social media into a full frenzy. From Twitter (now X) to WhatsApp family groups across the country, Nigerians have been dissecting, condemning, and yes — making memes out of — this remarkable declaration.
Many have questioned the wisdom of a senior party official essentially encouraging the breakdown of homes in the name of political mobilisation. Others have pointed out the deep irony of asking women in northern Nigeria — where a woman’s relationship with civic participation is already heavily negotiated within the home — to blow up their marriages for a ballot paper.
Critics are asking: Is this what grassroots mobilisation has come to?
The Bigger Picture: What This Tells Us About 2027
Nigeria’s political class has always had a talent for the dramatic, but this statement reflects something more troubling — the sheer panic and aggression with which politicians are already approaching 2027, years before the election date.
When party officials begin weaponising marriage and family against ordinary citizens just to secure votes, it raises serious questions about the quality of political engagement in our democracy. Rather than selling a vision, a manifesto, or tangible achievements to the electorate, the conversation has descended into emotional manipulation.
Women voters across Nigeria — whether in Yobe, Lagos, Anambra, or Rivers — deserve better than being told their marriages are bargaining chips for a political party’s ambitions.
The Bottom Line
Mohammed Gadaka’s statement, however it was intended, was reckless, irresponsible, and deeply disrespectful to the institution of marriage and to the intelligence of Nigerian women. Political participation is a fundamental right, and encouraging it is noble — but not like this.
As 2027 draws closer, Nigerians must hold their political leaders to a higher standard. Our votes are powerful, yes — but so are our homes, our values, and our dignity.
No ballot paper is worth a broken family.
—
What do you think about this statement? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
Get more details on buzzUp9ja
Be the first to comment