Unbelievable! Kano Lawmaker Representing Gov Yusuf Defects from APC to NDC Amid Shifting Political Alignments

Our Reporter 

A member of the Kano State House of Assembly representing Gwale Constituency, Abdulmajid Isa Umar Mai Rigar Fata, has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in a development that may signal fresh political realignments in Kano State.

The lawmaker, who represents Gwale Local Government Area — the home base of Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf — was formally received on Thursday by former Kano State governor and NDC leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, at his Maitama residence in Abuja.

Welcoming the defectors, Kwankwaso described their decision to join the party as a significant boost to the NDC’s grassroots structure and political strength in Kano State.

Mai Rigar Fata was first elected into the State Assembly in 2023 under the platform of Kwankwaso’s former political movement, the NNPP, before later aligning with Governor Yusuf in moving to the APC.

Sources indicated that his latest political move followed his inability to secure the APC ticket to seek re-election to the Assembly.

Others who joined the NDC alongside the lawmaker include former Vice Chairman of Gwale Local Government, Hon. Kabiru Sani Auwal Obi, and Malam Mahadi Isa Umar.

The development comes only hours after a Federal High Court ruling reportedly widened the space for political defections by overturning certain restrictions previously imposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Reacting to the court decision, Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the ruling could trigger a wave of defections from the APC, warning that a mass political exodus may be imminent.

Political observers say the latest defection could further reshape political calculations in Kano ahead of future electoral contests.