JAMILU DATTI DENIES ADC DEFECTION, ACCUSES SOCIAL MEDIA POST OF MISREPRESENTING MEETING WITH SEYI TINUBU

The ADC candidate for Bassa/Jos-North alleges that a write-up describing his meeting with Seyi Tinubu was altered to suggest he had agreed to join the APC.

Hon. Jamilu Lawandi Datti, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for Bassa/Jos-North Federal Constituency in the 2027 general elections, has denied reports that he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that a social media post about his meeting with Seyi Tinubu misrepresented the purpose of the encounter and his political position.

Datti, popularly known as Raba Gardama, said he remained a member of the ADC and had neither resigned from the party nor agreed to join the APC.

In a statement titled “I Have Not Resigned from ADC,” the federal constituency candidate maintained that his political position remained unchanged, reaffirming his commitment to the ADC and his support for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

The controversy followed the circulation of photographs showing Datti meeting Seyi Tinubu, accompanied by a Facebook post published by a page identified as Seyitinubunews. 

The post described Datti as a former ADC candidate and suggested that he had agreed to join the APC. However, Datti disputed that account, insisting that the meeting was for business discussions and friendship rather than political negotiations.

Datti Says Original Message Was Altered

According to Datti, Seyi Tinubu and his associates had invited him on several occasions for a business discussion. 

He said he eventually honoured the invitation in the spirit of friendship and cordial relations, without any intention of changing his political affiliation.

Datti alleged that the narrative accompanying the photographs was subsequently altered, creating the impression that he had defected to the ruling party.

He said the original message he supplied after the meeting described him as the ADC candidate for Bassa/Jos-North Federal Constituency and emphasised friendship, an exchange of ideas and a shared interest in community development.

The message concluded with the words, “Friendship, Unity, and Progress!”

In contrast, the version circulated on the Facebook page described him as a “former ADC Candidate” and included the statement: “I appreciate our insightful conversation and your commitment to joining the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

The post also welcomed him to the APC, language that was absent from the original message he said he supplied.

Datti argued that the differences between the two versions were significant because the altered wording presented a private meeting as evidence of a political decision he insists he never made.

He further stated that Seyi Tinubu had asked what write-up should accompany the photographs and that he provided his own version. According to Datti, the narrative was changed subsequently, resulting in the misleading impression.

“I Have Not Resigned from ADC”

In his official statement, Datti firmly rejected suggestions that he had left the ADC.

“Let me state categorically that I have not resigned from the ADC. Any information suggesting otherwise is false and does not reflect my position,” he declared.

He also warned against accepting documents purportedly issued by him if they did not bear his official letterhead, urging the public to verify statements through his recognised communication channels.

Reaffirming his political position, Datti stated: “My political position remains unchanged. I remain committed to the ADC and continue to stand with His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in the pursuit of our shared political aspirations.”

He added that he remained committed to contesting the Bassa/Jos-North Federal Constituency seat under the ADC platform in the 2027 general elections.

“I have not resigned. I remain in the ADC, and my candidacy remains unchanged,” he said.

Candidate Urges Public to Verify Political Reports. Datti called on his supporters, friends and residents of Bassa and Jos North to remain calm and avoid drawing conclusions from photographs or social media narratives that had not been confirmed by the individuals concerned.

He stressed that a meeting between two people did not, by itself, establish that either person had changed political allegiance.

He urged the public to distinguish between a social or business engagement and a formal political declaration, particularly as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.

The ADC candidate also emphasised the importance of direct communication and transparency in preventing misinformation from influencing public understanding of political developments.

The dispute centres on the conflicting descriptions of the meeting: Datti says the original message presented him as an ADC candidate attending a friendly and business-related engagement, while the version published by Seyitinubunews portrayed him as a former ADC candidate who had committed to joining the APC.