NEWS
“If Your Husband Won’t Allow You To Vote For APC, Stand Up To Him And Seek A Divorce” — Yobe APC Chairman, Muhammad Gadaka Tells Women
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yobe State, Muhammad Gadaka, has come under fire after urging married women whose husbands prevent them from voting for the ruling party to consider divorcing them, even offering to pay their dowries.
Gadaka made the controversial remark on Thursday while speaking at an APC campaign rally in Nangere, Yobe State, according to Arise News.
The comment, which was captured in a video shared by News Central, has since triggered widespread criticism, with residents and Islamic scholars describing it as reckless, provocative and capable of undermining family values in the predominantly Muslim state.
Addressing supporters at the rally, the Yobe APC chairman specifically encouraged women who might face opposition from their husbands over their political choice to stand up to them and leave their marriages.
“If your husband won’t allow you to vote for APC, stand up to him and seek a divorce. If you leave the marriage, I will pay your dowry and marry you,” he said.
The statement quickly generated controversy, particularly because it touched on marriage, religion and political allegiance. Critics argued that political differences should not be allowed to become grounds for the dissolution of marriages, while others condemned the remarks as inappropriate for a senior political office holder addressing a public gathering. The backlash subsequently prompted Gadaka to issue an apology and withdraw the statement.
In a video shared on Friday by the Facebook page of Yobe State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Abdullahi Bego, the APC chairman sought to clarify his earlier comments, saying they had been misconstrued.
Gadaka explained that the controversial statement was made as a joke and insisted that it was not intended to encourage married couples to divorce over political disagreements.
“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.
“I offer apologies for my statement, and I hereby withdraw it,” he added.
The controversy comes at a politically sensitive period as political parties and their supporters intensify preparations and mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Gadaka’s comments also come only days after another APC-related controversy in neighbouring Borno State, where the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sainna Buba, sparked criticism after threatening to flog people who refused to support the APC in the 2027 election.
The two incidents have renewed debate over the language and methods being employed by political actors as parties seek to consolidate grassroots support ahead of the next general elections.
While Gadaka has now apologised and withdrawn his remark, the incident is likely to continue generating discussion over the limits of political mobilisation, particularly when campaign rhetoric intersects with sensitive issues such as marriage, religion 
and family relationships.