The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has appealed to Kano Central Senator, Rufai Sani Hanga and former governor Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya to reconsider their alleged planned defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as a potential setback to the party.
The appeal followed the visit of the Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and the two politicians to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on Sunday.
The APC National Chairman had earlier visited the homes of Hanga and Gaya, fueling talk of imminent defection.
Speaking to Daily Trust on the development, Kano NDC Chairman, Hussaini Isah Mairiga admitted that the party is unsettled by the reports.
‘The story that the ruling APC is trying by all means to woo Kano Central Senator Rufai Sani Hanga and former Kano Governor Kabiru Gaya is everywhere. Up till now, none of them has confirmed to us about the planned defection, although even yesterday we saw them visiting President Tinubu. This shows that it could be true,’ he said.
Mairiga stressed that the party values its relationship with the two chieftains and would be disappointed if they were to defect.
‘As leaders of the party, we won’t be happy if they defect, because we won’t be happy even if it is ordinary members who defected, not to talk of chieftains like them. We have a good relationship with them and we respect each other,’ he added.
He urged the party stalwarts to suspend the idea and open a line of communication with the party leadership. ‘Since they have not yet officially announced their defection, we ask them to please have a rethink and suspend that idea. Let us come and discuss if there is any way we have offended them,’ Mairiga said.
The chairman acknowledged that Hanga had recently voiced complaints of unfair treatment within NDC, but noted that the party leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso had deliberately held back from responding immediately.
‘Kwankwaso said the reason he didn’t reply him was because he (Hanga) was angry, so he was waiting for him to calm down before meeting him,’ Mairiga explained.
Despite the visible courtship by APC, Mairiga insisted that the party still considers Hanga and Gaya as their members.
‘As far as we are concerned, we still see them as members. We see their recent courtship with the APC as mere courtesy as individuals,’ he said.
Consequences for NDC and Kwankwasiyya
The unfolding drama points to a high-stake politicking in Kano politics ahead of the 2027 election.
Hanga, once a close ally of Kwankwaso, commands loyalty in Kano Central. His departure would deprive the movement of a strategist capable of mobilising the metropolitan axis.
Gaya is also very important to the NDC, a former governor and four-term former senator, his influence in Kano South stretches across traditional institutions, business elites, and rural communities.
His return to APC would mean that NDC loses one of its most paramount figures in the region, leaving Kwankwasiyya exposed in an area where historically, it asserted dominance.
The consequences of these defections, if it materialise is that NDC’s grassroots structures would be depleted, as both men control extensive ward-level machinery that cannot be ignored.
Kwankwasiyya, which thrives on loyalty and cohesion, would also face an image crisis. The red cap movement has always projected unity, but the exit of trusted lieutenants would puncture that narrative.
For APC, by embracing Hanga and Gaya, the party will build on its gains in the state, which was already strengthened by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s alignment earlier this year.
Frequent defections could affect NDC, Kwankwasiyya in Kano – Analyst
Speaking on the development, a political analyst and lecturer at Bayero University Kano (BUK), Dr. Saidu Ahmad Dukawa, has warned that frequent defections of prominent politicians could weaken the NDC and its Kwankwasiyya movement.
Dukawa explained that the strength of any political party lies in the number and quality of its members.
‘In the first place, it is a collection of people that makes a political party. And the more the number, the stronger the party, and therefore the more impactful. So, in that regard, any political party that has the number, becomes stronger,’ he said.
He noted that while defections are common in Nigerian politics, their impact depends on the political weight of those leaving.
‘The impact of the people, either leaving or joining, depends on their political weight. If they have serious political weight, then they are likely to impact the party negatively. But if they lack the political weight, then it will only affect the party marginally. This is the formula,’ Dukawa explained.