The Yobe State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Mohammed Gadaka, has come under fire after urging married women to divorce their husbands if they were prevented from voting for the party in the upcoming general elections.
Gadaka made the controversial remark on Thursday in Nangere town while welcoming hundreds of people who had defected to the APC. He reportedly went as far as promising to pay the “new bride price” for any woman who chose to leave her marriage because of her loyalty to the party.
The comment quickly triggered backlash across the state, with residents and Islamic scholars describing it as irresponsible, provocative and capable of causing unnecessary tension within families.
Amid the growing criticism, Gadaka later withdrew the statement in a 42-second video shared on the Facebook page of Mamma Mohammed, the Director-General, Press and Media Affairs to Governor Mai Mala Buni.
The APC chairman explained that his remark had been misunderstood, insisting that it was merely a joke rooted in the traditional teasing culture between his Ngamo people and the Kare-Kare-speaking community.
“My statement was just a usual joking banter and does not in any way represent the ideals I stand for or intended to encourage divorce among married people,” Gadaka said.
He subsequently apologised for the remark and formally withdrew it.
It remains unclear whether Gadaka’s initial comment was prompted by any specific reports of husbands attempting to dictate how their wives should vote.
However, political observers in Yobe believe the retraction came in response to the mounting criticism, with many arguing that such a statement was inappropriate and could send the wrong message to the public, particularly in the build-up to the elections.
Find video below:
“If your husband won’t let you vote APC, leave him; I’ll pay your bride price and marry you” — Yobe APC Chairman, Muhammad Gadaka tells women pic.twitter.com/26c3PRs0gR
— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) September 4, 2026
The post 2027 Elections: “Divorce Your Husbands if They Stop You From Voting APC’ — Yobe Party Chairman appeared first on Information Nigeria.