Yobe APC Chairman Tells Women To Divorce Husbands Who Stop Them From Voting APC

Newslens NG reports that the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe State, Alhaji Mohammed Gadaka, has sparked controversy after advising married women to divorce their husbands if they prevent them from voting for the party in the 2027 general elections.

Gadaka made the controversial remark on Thursday while addressing hundreds of defectors who joined the APC in Nangere, Yobe State, as part of the party’s mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
The APC chairman reportedly told women whose husbands would not allow them to vote for the ruling party to leave their marriages.

He went further by promising to pay the “new bride price” of any woman who ended her marriage because of her political allegiance to the APC.

The comments generated backlash, with residents and Islamic scholars reportedly describing the remark as reckless and provocative, particularly because of the potential impact of political disagreements on families.

Gadaka Apologises, Withdraws Statement
Following the controversy, Gadaka later apologised and withdrew the statement.
In a 42-second video shared on Facebook by Mamman Mohammed, Director-General of Press and Media Affairs to Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, Gadaka said his remarks had been misconstrued.

He explained that the statement was intended as “joking banter”, which he said was rooted in an age-old practice of teasing between his Ngamo people and the Kare-Kare-speaking community.  Gadaka said the comment did not represent his values or an intention to encourage married people to divorce.

He subsequently apologised to the public and formally withdrew the statement.
The controversy comes as political parties intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections, with concerns continuing to emerge over political rhetoric and the need to protect voters’ freedom to make independent choices