By Editor
The opposition camp in Kano State suffered a major political setback on Saturday as about 136,000 members of various opposition parties defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The mass defection, which involved several prominent politicians and former political office holders, took place at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, during the North-West gathering and inauguration of the Tinubu Support Campaign Council Group.
The development is expected to alter the political calculations in Kano, one of Nigeria’s most politically influential states, as the APC moves to consolidate its grassroots structure ahead of the 2027 polls.
Receiving the defectors, Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, said their decision to join the APC demonstrated the growing acceptance of the ruling party across the state.
He urged the new entrants to work with existing members to strengthen the party at the grassroots and mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu and other APC candidates in 2027.
“I urge you to work together with other members of the party to strengthen the APC at the grassroots and mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu and all our candidates ahead of the 2027 elections,” Yusuf said.
The governor’s appeal came against the backdrop of growing political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections, with the major parties stepping up efforts to attract influential politicians and build stronger structures across the country.
Director-General of the Tinubu Support Group, Umar Tanko-Yakasai, said the organisation would intensify its grassroots mobilisation campaign, promising to take the movement to communities across the country.
Yakasai said the group would focus on building broad-based support for Tinubu’s re-election through sustained engagement with voters at the grassroots.
Among the prominent politicians who defected to the APC were former Kano Central Senator, Rufa’i Hanga; former Kano State Governor, Kabiru Gaya; former PDP deputy governorship candidate, Yusuf Dambatta; former NDC Deputy Chairman, Aliyu Yako; and former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Isyaku Danja.
Others included Senator Mas’ud Doguwa; former NNPP Kano State Chairman, Abdullah Abiya; former NNPP senatorial candidate, Abdulmajid Dandawaki; former commissioner and special adviser, Baraka Sani; and former Ungogo Local Government Chairman, Muhammad Umar.
The entry of the defectors, particularly the high-profile politicians among them, could provide the APC with additional political structures and networks as the 2027 contest gathers momentum.
With the mass movement, the ruling party appears determined to deepen its presence in Kano and strengthen its grassroots machinery ahead of what is expected to be a fiercely contested election.
