Kano Senator and Others Switch to APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State has welcomed Rufa’i Hanga, the senator for Kano Central District.

Mr Hanga was the only senator from Kano in the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Former Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso is the NDC's vice presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

Mr Hanga joined the APC on Saturday after resigning from the NDC. He announced this in a letter to the party’s Dakata Ward chairman dated August 3.

The APC also welcomed many other notable opposition leaders and thousands of their supporters.

Some of the defectors included former Kano State Governor Kabiru Gaya, factional Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Mas’ud Doguwa, former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly Isyaku Danja, and Yusuf Danbatta, the former PDP deputy governorship candidate.

These defectors were officially welcomed during the launch of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG) 2.0 National Structure and State Executive Committees. This event took place at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kofar Mata, Kano.

The gathering saw many prominent political figures, including Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, former governor Abdullahi Ganduje, and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.

Other notable figures joining the APC included Baraka Sani, NDC chieftain Ali Yako, and several members of the NDC state executive committee. Former Chairman of Ungogo Local Government Area, Badaru Umar, also made the switch.

Among the defectors were members from Nasiru Gawuna's camp. Gawuna was the APC’s candidate for governor in 2023 and is expected to return to the APC after missing out on the NDC governorship ticket.

This wave of high-profile political figures adds to the ongoing changes in Kano as the 2027 general elections approach.

This shift is likely to boost the APC’s political strength in Kano as they prepare for the upcoming presidential, governorship, and National Assembly elections.