A member of the Kano State House of Assembly representing Gwale Constituency, Abdulmajid Isa Umar Mai Rigar Fata, has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Mai Rigar Fata, who represents Gwale Local Government Area the home constituency of Abba Kabir Yusuf was officially received into the NDC on Thursday by former Kano State Governor and party leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, at his Maitama residence in Abuja.
The defection marks another major political shift in Kano State amid increasing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Welcoming the defectors, Kwankwaso described their decision to join the NDC as a major boost to the party’s grassroots structure and growing political influence in Kano.
The former governor expressed confidence that the new members would contribute significantly to the expansion and consolidation of the party in the state.
Mai Rigar Fata was initially elected into the Kano State House of Assembly in 2023 under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), a party strongly associated with the Kwankwasiyya political movement led by Kwankwaso.
However, he later defected alongside Governor Yusuf to the APC.
Defection Linked To APC Ticket Dispute
Sources familiar with the development indicated that the lawmaker’s latest defection followed his inability to secure the APC ticket to seek re-election into the state assembly.
His return to Kwankwaso’s political camp is expected to influence political calculations in Gwale Local Government Area, regarded as one of the strategic political strongholds in Kano State.
Others who reportedly joined the NDC alongside him include Kabiru Sani Auwal Obi, a former Vice Chairman of Gwale Local Government Area, and Mahadi Isa Umar.
The development comes shortly after a ruling by a Federal High Court that struck down parts of the electoral guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Political observers believe the judgement could make it easier for politicians seeking alternative political platforms ahead of the next election cycle.
Reacting to the court ruling earlier, spokesman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, predicted that more defections could soon hit the APC.
“We believed at the time that that particular restriction was designed to prevent people from leaving the ruling party, APC. Now that the court has ruled against it, we are sure that, in the coming days, we will witness a mass exodus from the ruling party,” Abdullahi said.
