…as Governor Sani vows 95% victory for APC in 2027 elections

The political landscape of Kaduna State has shifted further in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following the defection of four members of the State House of Assembly, five members of the House of Representatives, and thousands of their supporters to the APC over the weekend.

The high-profile defections were formalised during a mega rally held at the Murtala Mohammed Square, Kaduna, which was attended by APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas; Minister of Environment, Alhaji Balarabe Abbas Lawal; and Chairman of the North West Development Commission, Alhaji Lawal Samaila Yakawada, among others.

With the latest movement, the APC now controls 13 of the 16 House of Representatives seats from Kaduna State, leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with three. In the State House of Assembly, APC members have increased to 26, while PDP now has eight.

In a statement signed by Governor Uba Sani, he assured the new entrants that the party would not discriminate between old and new members.

“What is more important is your ability to reach out to the grassroots, to carry everyone along, particularly the people of your constituency who gave you the opportunity to represent them,” he said.

Governor Sani, who described the latest wave of defections as a sign of Kaduna’s unity under the APC, stated that the party had grown from having only four House of Representatives members in 2023 to 14 today.

“Today in Kaduna, we don’t have any opposition. I promised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu months ago that we would deliver 80 per cent of the votes in 2027, but I’ve now shifted my ground about 95 per cent of the total votes in Kaduna State will go to APC,” he declared.

He attributed the influx of members to his administration’s policy of justice, fairness, and inclusivity, saying that Kaduna’s diversity had become its strength.

“Our state is the most diverse in Nigeria. When we came in, we used that diversity as our strength. That’s why today, we’ve not experienced a single ethno-religious crisis. It’s unprecedented,” he said.

Also speaking, APC National Chairman, Professor Yilwatda, described the APC as “the promised land” for Nigerian politicians, noting that both President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani deserve second terms due to their leadership achievements.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, lauded the political consolidation of the APC in Kaduna State, saying, “Today, whether in Zone 1, Zone 2, or Zone 3, APC is the party to beat. We’ve never been this strong before.”

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Hon. Husseini Jalo expressed gratitude to Governor Sani and President Tinubu for providing what he described as purposeful leadership.

“Kaduna State is now a one-party state, and both the President and Governor Uba Sani will be re-elected for a second term,” he said.

Among the defectors were Hon. Sadiq Ango (Sabon Gari Federal Constituency), Hon. Abdulkarim Husseini Ahmad (Kaduna South), Hon. Aliyu Mustapha Abdullahi (Ikara/Kubau), and Hon. Hussaini Jalo (Igabi). Other notable figures include former Senators Danjuma Lah, Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, and Shehu Sani, as well as former Governor Muktar Ramalan Yero and PDP State Secretary, Hon. Saidu Adamu.