Muhammad Gadaka, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe, has urged women in the state to leave their husbands if they prevent them from voting for the party.
Speaking on Thursday at a political rally in Nangere LGA of the state, Gadaka said he was willing to pay the women’s bride price and marry them if they were divorced for voting for the APC.
The politician said his political base in the state has remained strong for years, adding that new members of the party would have opportunities to rise to leadership positions in the future.
“The prayers offered 20 years ago were powerful, which is why the movement has not collapsed,” Gadaka said in Hausa.
“Tell your sister that if her husband does not agree and divorces her, I will pay her bride price and marry her.”
But hours later, the Yobe APC chairman walked back his remark after it sparked widespread backlash.
In a 43-second video, Gadaka apologised for the comment, saying he was misunderstood.
He described the statement as a joke based on the traditional relationship between the people of Gamawa and Kare-Kare.
“My name is Muhammad Gadaka, and I am from the Fika local government area. As you may know, there is a traditional joking relationship between the Gamawa and Kare-Kare tribes. We recently organised a programme in zone B of the Nangere local government area,” he said.
“However, my statement was misunderstood by the public. As a leader, I want to clarify that I reject that misunderstood statement, and I sincerely apologise to everyone.”
Gadaka’s remark is the latest among a series of controversial statements made by politicians ahead of the 2027 general election.
