The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has expressed readiness to welcome former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, if he defects.

This was as many New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) members, including a sitting senator and youths, dumped the ruling party in Kano for the ruling APC at the federal level.

Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of NNPP in the 2023 general elections, is the leader of the party in Kano, from where Ganduje hails.
Speaking to journalists after receiving the Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata, at the APC national headquarters in Abuja, Ganduje said: “The APC is deepening and widening democracy in the country. Kwankwaso is a fish out of water, trying to find its way back into the waters. We cannot say we cannot accommodate him. We don’t want to leave him completely abandoned. We can still have him in if he wants to join us.
“When you see your son running to where he would get shelter and you are a big brother in a big home, I think it is morally right to accommodate him.”

THE Senate, yesterday, formally received a letter from Sen Suleiman (NNPP, Kano South) to move to the APC, citing irreconcilable divisions within the NNPP.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio read Kawu’s letter during plenary, where the lawmaker declared his move to the APC under Section 68 (1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Kawu described the APC as “the largest party in Africa” and “the only stable party in Nigeria.”

In his letter, Kawu stated that his decision to quit the NNPP was driven by “compelling and undeniable developments” that left the party “severely divided and dysfunctional.” He lamented the wave of internal litigations and multiple court cases, which, according to him, highlights a crisis of legitimacy, disunity and factional leadership within the party.

He noted that the existence of multiple party factions, each with its distinct logo, underscores the severity of the party’s fragmentation.
Arguing that these developments meet the constitutional threshold for a legitimate defection, Kawu said continuing with the NNPP would no longer serve the national interest or the interests of my constituents.

IN Madobi Local Council of Kano State, Kwankwaso’s hometown, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has recorded a major political gain, as many youths defected from various political parties, particularly NNPP, to the SDP.

According to the Chairman of SDP in Madobi, Isah Kwankwaso, the wave of defections signals increasing public acceptance of the party’s vision and agenda.
“The high number of youths joining us shows that people are beginning to understand the mission of SDP, which is focused on rescuing society and promoting sustainable development,” he said.

He further disclosed that the party’s objective was to unite all wards and political structures in Madobi under the SDP umbrella ahead of the 2027 general elections.