‘Stay with us’ – Kano NDC begs Senator Hanga amid APC defection rumours

The Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State, Hussaini Mairiga, has appealed to the party’s only senator, Rufai Hanga, to remain with the party amid reports that he and former Senator Kabiru Gaya may be planning to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mairiga made the appeal during an interview with Very Nigerian on Tuesday, stressing that both Hanga and Gaya are key members of the NDC and should not be influenced to abandon the party.

He noted that neither of the two politicians has officially informed the party of any plan to resign their membership, urging them to continue contributing to the growth of the NDC.

“As of today, none of them has submitted a resignation letter to me as the state chairman. They are still members of our party,” he said.

The appeal comes amid growing speculation over the political future of the two Kano politicians following a series of high-profile meetings with APC leaders.

On Sunday, Hanga and Gaya were among political figures received by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, in a delegation led by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.

The duo had also held separate meetings with the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, fuelling reports of an imminent defection to the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The speculation followed recent developments within the NDC, where Hanga reportedly lost the party’s consensus ticket for the 2027 Kano Central Senatorial District to former Deputy Governor Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.

Gawuna, who was the APC governorship candidate in the 2023 election, defected from the APC to the African Democratic Congress before later joining the NDC alongside the party’s national leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Gaya also reportedly lost the party’s consensus ticket for Kano South, developments that political observers believe may have contributed to the defection rumours.

Despite the meetings and speculation, neither Hanga nor Gaya has publicly announced plans to leave the NDC, while the party has maintained that both remain its members.

Mairiga alleged that the APC was making concerted efforts to woo the duo into its fold, accusing the party’s former National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, of masterminding the move.

“They are not the ones pursuing the APC. It is the APC that is pursuing them. Ganduje is the mastermind of what is happening, but we are still together with them in the NDC,” Mairiga said.

The NDC chairman urged Hanga and Gaya to channel any grievances they might have through the party’s internal mechanisms instead of considering defection.

“If they have any complaints, they should sit down with our leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and discuss the issues. That is the proper thing to do,” he said.

Hanga, who represents Kano Central in the Senate, is currently the NDC’s only serving senator from Kano, while Gaya, a former governor and senator, remains one of the state’s influential political figures.

Their exit, if eventually confirmed, would represent a setback for the NDC’s political strength in Kano ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Mairiga also cautioned against actions capable of weakening the party ahead of future political contests, warning that defection could have long-term consequences.

He further alleged that if Hanga defects to the APC, he would be unlikely to support former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau’s ambition for the Kano Central Senatorial District but would instead engage in anti-party activities.

“I want to appeal to them not to allow some unscrupulous elements to push them into making a mistake they will later regret. We value them as leaders of the party and hope they will remain with us,” he added.

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