RismadarVoice Reporters
September 4, 2026
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe State, Muhammad Gadaka, has apologised over a controversial remark in which he appeared to encourage women to leave husbands who opposed their support for the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Gadaka commented on Thursday during an APC rally in Nangere Local Government Area of the state.
While addressing supporters in Hausa, the APC chairman reportedly told women that if their husbands divorced them because of their political support for the party, he would pay their bride price and marry them.
“Tell your sister that if her husband does not agree and divorces her, I will pay her bride price and marry her,” Gadaka said.
He also spoke about the resilience of the party’s political structure in the state, saying its longstanding members would eventually have opportunities to occupy leadership positions.
However, the remark attracted criticism and prompted the Yobe APC chairman to issue an apology shortly after the event.
In a 43-second video, Gadaka said his comment had been misunderstood and attempted to provide a cultural explanation for the statement.
He said the remark was made in the context of the traditional joking relationship between the Gamawa and Kare-Kare ethnic groups.
“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,” he said.
Gadaka explained that the controversial statement was made during a political programme held in Zone B of Nangere Local Government Area.
He, however, acknowledged that the comment had generated public concern and apologised to anyone who felt offended by it.
“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,” he said.
