Ganye, Adamawa State. The race for Adamawa’s Government House has gained a new storyline, and it is about loyalty. Rev. Dr. Hon. Chief Habila M. Istifanus, former Chairman of Ganye Local Government Area, has left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). Pastor Naphtali Nongsen has joined him. Together they have returned to the political camp of Alhaji Sadiq Mohammed Walin Ganye, the elder statesman widely regarded as the founding father of the APM in Adamawa.
The move took place in the presence of His Excellency Martin N. Babale, former Deputy Governor of Adamawa State. His attendance gave the ceremony the weight of a statement rather than a routine party reception.
Party-switching is common in Nigerian politics, and it is usually driven by convenience. This case reads differently. Rev. Habila once stood with Walin Ganye, then left for the APC. Now he has chosen to come back to the man he first followed.
Returning to an old mentor when the stakes are rising says something about the bond between the two. It suggests that some political relationships rest on trust and shared history, and that these can outlast the appeal of a larger platform.
Walin Ganye has built a reputation as a reconciler, a leader who repairs relationships rather than burning bridges. The return of a figure with Rev. Habila’s standing, a former council chairman, a clergyman and a chief, suggests that reputation still carries weight.
Rev. Habila and Pastor Nongsen bring real assets to the camp:
- Grassroots knowledge. A former local government chairman knows the wards, the leaders and the concerns of voters.
- Moral and social influence. Both men are respected within faith communities, which are among the most organised social networks in Adamawa.
- Credibility. When respected figures move, undecided voters notice.
The returnees have pledged to support the governorship ambition of His Excellency Abdulrahman Bashir Haske, who emerged as the APM governorship candidate for 2027 after leaving the APC in September.
For the APM, such arrivals add depth. They help turn a promising candidacy into a structure, with people on the ground in Ganye and neighbouring communities who can mobilise voters.
Supporters of the APM read the development as evidence that momentum is moving their way and that the party is the one to beat in the 2027 governorship election. No single defection decides an election, but momentum is built from moments like this one.
If more respected figures follow Rev. Habila and Pastor Nongsen, the APC will face hard questions about why seasoned leaders are leaving. For now, in Ganye, an old loyalty has been renewed, and the APM is the immediate beneficiary.
