The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has strengthened its political presence in Kano State after several prominent opposition figures announced their defection to the party.
Former senators Rufai Sani Hanga and Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, as well as Senator Masud El-Jibrin Doguwa, were among the politicians who moved into the APC alongside a reported 136,038 other defectors.
The mass defection took place during an event organised around the unveiling of campaign groups for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
The new entrants reportedly came from different political camps, with several former opposition officials joining the ruling party with their supporters.
One of the notable defectors was Ali Datti Yako, the Kano State Deputy Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Some members of the NDC state executive committee were also said to have joined the APC.
Badaru Umar, a former chairman of Ungogo Local Government Area, was another prominent entrant. He reportedly moved to the APC alongside supporters associated with former Kano APC governorship candidate Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.
Former Kano State House of Assembly Speaker Isyaku Ali Danja also joined the ruling party with members of his political structure.
The defection list further featured former PDP deputy governorship candidate Yusuf Bello Danbatta and former presidential Special Adviser Senator Baraka Sani.
From the NNPP, Abdullahi Zubairu Abiya, chairman of the party’s “Book Faction”, was among those who crossed over.
Former NNPP senatorial candidate Abdulmajid Dauda Dandawaki also announced his movement to the APC alongside his supporters.
An NDC candidate for the Kano State House of Assembly, identified as Kabiru, was also reported to have joined the ruling party.
The development comes amid significant political movement in Kano following Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s defection from the NNPP to the APC.
Since the governor’s move, several lawmakers and political appointees have also reportedly followed him into the ruling party.
The latest defections bring together politicians with experience across the Senate, House of Representatives, state legislature, local government administration and political party structures.
With the 2027 elections approaching, the movement is expected to add to the ongoing political realignment in Kano State.
