Former Senate Minority Leader and onetime senator representing Plateau North, Simon Mwadkwon, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mwadkwon announced his defection on Thursday during a visit to elders of the APC in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, where he formally declared his intention to align with the ruling party.
“I am here to formally announce my entry into the APC and to seek the counsel of party elders at the grassroots,” the former lawmaker said during the visit.
He explained that his decision followed extensive consultations with his constituents, political stakeholders, family members, and associates across the Plateau North Senatorial District.
According to him, the move represents a strategic political realignment aimed at improving collaboration and strengthening representation at the national level.
“This realignment is driven by the desire to work more effectively with leaders who share a commitment to improving governance and ensuring that the voices of our people are heard at key decision-making levels,” Mwadkwon stated.
The former minority leader also disclosed his intention to contest the Plateau North senatorial seat on the platform of the APC in the 2027 general election.
He added that his defection was part of a deliberate effort to contribute to the growth and strengthening of the APC in Plateau State.
Welcoming him into the party, the Chairman of the APC Elders’ Council in Barkin Ladi, Solomon Bature, described the defection as a positive development, noting that the party remains open to all Nigerians willing to uphold its principles.
Bature urged party members to remain loyal and committed to the APC, stressing that unity and dedication were critical to the party’s success.
Mwadkwon was accompanied by several supporters, including former local government officials and party loyalists, during the visit.
The former lawmaker was elected senator for Plateau North in 2023 on the platform of the PDP, but his victory was later nullified by the Court of Appeal, which ordered a rerun election.
