The Yobe State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mohammed Gadaka, has apologised and withdrawn his controversial remark urging married women to divorce their husbands if they were prevented from voting for the party.
Gadaka made the comment on Thursday while receiving hundreds of defectors into the APC in Nangere.
“If your husband won’t allow you to vote for APC, leave the marriage. I will pay your bride price and marry you,” he was quoted as saying.
The statement drew criticism from residents and Islamic scholars, who described it as provocative and inappropriate, warning that such remarks could undermine family values.
Amid the backlash, Gadaka apologised in a 42-second video shared on Facebook by Mamma Mohammed, Director-General of Press and Media Affairs to Governor Mai Mala Buni.
The APC chairman said his comment was taken out of context and was made as a joke rooted in the traditional banter between his Ngamo ethnic group and the Kare-Kare-speaking people.
“My statement was just a joking banter and does not in any way represent the ideals I stand for or intended to encourage divorce among married people,” Gadaka said.
“I offer apologies for my statement, and I hereby withdraw it,” he added.
