In a significant political shift, over 1,300 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Dawakin Tofa, the hometown of the APC’s National Chairman, Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, have defected to the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano State. The mass defection, involving 1,331 members from 11 wards in the Dawakin-Tofa local government area, represents a major setback for the APC in Kano as the defectors pledged to oppose the party’s return to power in the state.

Among the notable figures joining the NNPP are Malam Isyaku Dahiru Kwa, a former Vice Chairman of Dawakin-Tofa LGA; Hon. Audu Magaji Tumfafi, a former state House of Assembly aspirant; and Bashir Musa Sani, the APC Youth Leader for Takai Organization. These high-profile departures add weight to the defection movement, signaling deep dissatisfaction with the APC’s leadership in the region.

ALSO READ: Whistleblower Isaac Bristol Granted Bail in High-Profile Case

Alhaji Hashimu Sulaiman Dungurawa, the NNPP State Chairman, officially welcomed the defectors and commended their choice to leave the APC. Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Isyaku Dahiru Kwa pointed to Ganduje’s failure to bring tangible development to Dawakin-Tofa during his eight-year tenure as a key reason for their decision. He also questioned Ganduje’s ability to effectively lead the party on a national level.

In response, Dungurawa assured the new members they would be treated equally within the NNPP, while dismissing claims of large-scale defections from the NNPP to the APC. He suggested that any rumors of defections could be linked to people seeking financial gain under false pretenses.