The Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna campaign organisation has dismissed reports that a group described as ‘Gawuna’s bigwigs’ has defected from the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the individuals had severed ties with the former Kano State governorship candidate months ago.
The clarification comes amid renewed political realignments in Kano ahead of the 2027 general elections, with politicians and political groups repositioning themselves as alliances that shaped the 2023 election continue to undergo major changes.
The Gawuna campaign team said the individuals currently being portrayed as members of his political camp were no longer part of his official structure and should not be presented as representatives of his political organisation.
The clarification followed reports linking the group to a recent solidarity visit to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, with suggestions that their movement from the NDC towards the APC represented a significant political setback for Gawuna and his allies.
However, Saleh Adamu Kwaru, Director-General and Chairman of the Gawuna Campaign Coordinating Team, said the affected individuals had left the structure in June after their personal demands were rejected by Gawuna.
According to Kwaru, the separation was not triggered by the recent political developments in Kano but followed disagreements over what he described as personal political interests.
The campaign team further alleged that members of the group had independently initiated discussions with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), seeking to persuade Gawuna to accept the party’s governorship ticket for the 2027 election.
The alleged discussions, according to the statement, were conducted without Gawuna’s prior knowledge, consent or authorisation.
The group was also accused of attempting to secure political concessions for itself as part of the proposed arrangement.
Kwaru alleged that the individuals presented the ADC as a platform that would finance Gawuna’s governorship campaign, while legislative positions and other political opportunities would be made available to members of the group.
The negotiations reportedly failed after Gawuna declined to participate in the arrangement.
The campaign team said the development subsequently led members of the group to explore alternative political platforms, including efforts to return to the APC.
‘While three members of their circle chose to remain within the NDC structure, the rest continued their political shopping spree,’ the statement said.
The Gawuna camp maintained that the political movement of the individuals should therefore not be interpreted as a defection by Gawuna’s political structure or as an indication that his support base was collapsing.
It said its campaign organisation for the 2027 election had been developed independently of the individuals in question and remained operational.
‘Our operational strategies, campaign structures, and internal systems were fully established independent of these defecting individuals,’ the statement said.
The campaign team also sought to allay concerns that the departure of the individuals could expose sensitive information about Gawuna’s political operations or compromise preparations for the next election.
It said the political organisation had continued to strengthen its grassroots structures and attract politicians, community leaders and mobilisers from across Kano State.
According to the campaign team, new political figures and grassroots supporters were joining the Gawuna political family across the state’s 44 local government areas.
It argued that the continued expansion of the political network had more than compensated for the departure of the individuals now associated with the latest realignment.
Kano’s shifting political landscape
The development is unfolding against the backdrop of one of the most significant political realignments in Kano since the 2023 governorship election.
The 2023 election produced one of the closest political contests in the state in recent years, with Gawuna, who contested on the APC platform, challenging Abba Kabir Yusuf of the NNPP.
Yusuf emerged as the declared winner of the election, defeating Gawuna in a contest that subsequently generated prolonged legal battles over the result.
The dispute eventually reached the Supreme Court, which affirmed Yusuf’s victory, bringing an end to the major judicial challenge surrounding the governorship election.
The political landscape that emerged after the election, however, did not remain static.
Yusuf’s political movement away from the NNPP and his subsequent alignment with the APC fundamentally altered the configuration of Kano politics.
His move to the APC in January 2026 brought him into the same political platform on which Gawuna had contested the 2023 governorship election.
The development has created new political calculations within the state, particularly among politicians who were previously divided along NNPP and APC lines.
For the APC, the movement has potentially brought together political interests that were on opposite sides of the 2023 election, while simultaneously creating fresh questions over the future of politicians and support groups previously aligned with either camp.
The latest controversy involving individuals associated with the Gawuna political family is therefore taking place within a broader period of political repositioning.
With the 2027 elections approaching, political actors in Kano are expected to continue reassessing their alliances, platforms and electoral strategies.
The emergence and strengthening of alternative political platforms, including the ADC, has also added another layer to the political competition.
For Gawuna’s camp, however, the latest movement does not represent a weakening of its political machinery.
Kwaru said the campaign organisation remained focused on expanding its support base and consolidating its structures ahead of 2027.
The campaign team urged residents, political observers and media organisations to distinguish between individuals who had previously worked within Gawuna’s political network and those who currently constitute his official campaign structure.
It also warned against associating the individuals involved in the latest political movement with Gawuna without verification.
The campaign organisation said its focus remained on building a broad political movement capable of competing effectively in 2027 rather than being distracted by the movement of individual politicians.
The dispute also highlights the growing importance of political structures and grassroots networks as parties prepare for the next election.
In Kano, where political contests are often heavily influenced by local networks, community leaders and ward-level mobilisation, the ability of political actors to retain and expand grassroots support could become crucial as the 2027 election approaches.
While the Gawuna campaign team insists that the latest exit has no significant effect on its political strength, the competing movements among politicians indicate that Kano’s political alliances remain fluid.
The next electoral contest is likely to be shaped not only by party platforms but also by the ability of political camps to attract influential figures, maintain grassroots structures and navigate the changing alliances created by the state’s evolving political landscape.
For now, the Gawuna campaign organisation says it remains firmly committed to its preparations for 2027 and has rejected suggestions that the reported movement of former associates constitutes a setback to its political ambitions.