Former senators Rufai Sani Hanga and Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, alongside Senator Masud El-Jibrin Doguwa, have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State with 136,038 other politicians and supporters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The mass defection took place during the unveiling of campaign groups supporting President Bola Tinubu in Kano, further strengthening the ruling party’s presence in the state.
The latest entrants include politicians drawn from the Senate, House of Representatives, Kano State House of Assembly, local government administration and opposition political parties.
Among those who joined the APC was Ali Datti Yako, identified as the Kano State Deputy Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), alongside some members of the party’s state executive committee.
Former Ungogo Local Government Chairman, Badaru Umar, also defected to the APC with members of the political group associated with former Kano APC governorship candidate, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.
Former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Isyaku Ali Danja, was also listed among the defectors, alongside his supporters.
The movement also included former PDP deputy governorship candidate Yusuf Bello Danbatta and his supporters, as well as former Special Adviser to the President, Senator Baraka Sani.
Abdullahi Zubairu Abiya, chairman of the “Book Faction” of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), was among those who moved into the APC.
Former NNPP senatorial candidate Abdulmajid Dauda Dandawaki also joined the ruling party with his supporters, while an NDC State House of Assembly candidate identified as Kabiru was listed among the defectors.
The latest movement follows a series of defections into the APC in Kano in recent months, particularly from the NNPP, after Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf moved into the ruling party.
The governor’s defection has since been followed by the movement of lawmakers and political appointees into the APC, altering the political alignment in the state ahead of the 2027 elections.
The latest entrants represent several layers of Kano’s political structure, including former national lawmakers, state legislators, local government officials, political candidates and party executives.
The development comes as political parties intensify efforts to consolidate support and build electoral structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
