By Stephen Simon
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe State, Muhammad Gadaka, has apologised and withdrawn his controversial call for married women to divorce husbands who prevent them from voting for the ruling party in the 2027 elections.
Gadaka made the remark on Thursday while addressing APC supporters at a political gathering in Nangere Local Government Area of the state, where he reportedly told women to leave their marriages if their husbands opposed their decision to vote for the party.
He further offered to pay the dowry of any woman who ended her marriage over the issue and promised to marry her. The comment, captured on video and circulated widely on social media, subsequently triggered criticism from members of the public and some Islamic scholars, who described it as provocative and inappropriate.
Following the backlash, Gadaka issued an apology and withdrew the statement, insisting that he had not intended to encourage women to break up their marriages because of political differences.
“I withdraw my earlier statement that any woman whose husband prevents her from voting for the APC should end her marriage, and that I would marry her. I apologise to the public; I only said it as a joke,” he said.
The Yobe APC chairman subsequently explained that his comment had been misunderstood and was made within what he described as a traditional joking relationship between the Gamawa and Kare-Kare communities.
According to Gadaka, the remark was made during a political programme in Zone B of Nangere and was not intended as a serious instruction to married women. He said his position did not represent any desire to encourage marital breakdown.
“My statement was just a joke and does not in any way represent the ideals I stand for or intended to encourage divorce among married people,” he said, while apologising to those offended by the comment.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of intensifying political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections, with politicians across the country increasingly making provocative statements at rallies and other party gatherings.
Gadaka’s comments have also drawn attention because they came only days after another controversial statement by Borno State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sainna Buba, who was criticised over a reported threat to flog people who refused to support the APC in the 2027 election.
The incidents have renewed concerns about the tone of political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections and the potential consequences of inflammatory remarks by political leaders, particularly in communities where political, religious and family relationships remain closely intertwined.
For now, Gadaka has sought to put the controversy behind him with his withdrawal and apology, but his remarks have become another example of how the increasingly intense battle for political support ahead of 2027 is producing statements that can quickly move beyond the campaign arena and into wider social debate.
