Wave of resignations hits Radda administration as appointees quit amid gov’s rift with Masari

A wave of resignations has hit the Katsina State Government, with at least five political appointees of Governor Dikko Umaru Radda leaving their positions within days.

The resignations have attracted political attention because of their timing and the number of officials who have exited the administration within a short period.

The development comes amid increased political activities and reported realignment among members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Katsina State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The latest resignation came from the Deputy Commander of the Katsina State Hisbah Board in charge of Operations, Muhammad Shitu Maslaha, who resigned in a letter dated October 6, 2026.

His departure followed that of the Commander-General of the Hisbah Board, Dr Aminu Usman, popularly known as Abu Ammar, who resigned on Monday, October 5.

The development also followed the resignation of the Chairman of the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Kabir Bature Sarkin Alhazai, who left office after serving since his appointment by Governor Radda in 2023.

Also among the officials who have resigned is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Katsina State Project Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation, Fadila Sani Dalhatu. She submitted her resignation in a letter dated October 5.

Another appointee, Alhaji Abubakar Soja Tsanni, who served as Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth Development, has also resigned.

Sources within the Katsina Government House told Daily Trust that more political appointees could leave the administration in the coming days.

Earlier resignations

The latest wave of departures follows other resignations earlier in 2026 by political appointees who left government to pursue elective positions ahead of the 2027 elections.

Hamza Suleiman Faskari, then Katsina State Commissioner for Environment, resigned on March 30 to pursue an elective position in the 2027 elections.

Similarly, Shehu Abdu Daura, a Special Assistant to Governor Radda on Drugs, Narcotics and Human Trafficking, resigned in March to participate in the APC primaries for the Katsina North (Daura) Senatorial District.

However, the reasons for the latest resignations remain unclear.

None of the affected officials has publicly linked their decision to any disagreement with Governor Radda or his administration. The state government has also not indicated that the departures are connected or that they are the result of an internal political crisis.

Alleged APC realignment

Despite the absence of official explanations, political observers have linked the development to alleged intra-party differences within the Katsina APC.

A source within the state APC claimed that some of the former appointees had moved closer to the camp of Ibrahim Kabir Masari, the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Political Affairs.

“We are aware that some of those who have left the Dikko administration recently have moved to pitch their tents with Ibrahim Masari. We have heard that they left to align with the Abuja-Katsina APC camp,” the source said.

Other sources attributed the resignations to an alleged statement by Governor Radda urging political appointees who felt they were not receiving the desired privileges or could no longer contribute effectively to the administration to resign and make way for others.

However, it could not be independently established whether Radda made such a statement or whether it had any direct connection with the recent resignations.

The reported departures come as political activities intensify across Katsina ahead of the 2027 elections, with political parties and support groups increasing mobilisation across the state.

Analysts differ over implications

Commenting on the development, Ahmed Baba Kado of the Good Governance Initiative said the resignations could indicate an underlying disagreement within the Katsina APC.

He argued that although alleged differences between the two major political camps in the state had not been publicly acknowledged, recent developments appeared to point to divisions within the party.

“They have tried to make it appear that all is well in the party despite clear indications that the actors allegedly involved in the disagreement are operating in different directions,” Kado said.

“It is obvious that they will not make the disagreement public, but the current developments, particularly the resignations and the reported alignment of some former appointees with the Masari camp, have exposed the situation within the APC in Katsina.”

Kado said prolonged internal disagreements could have implications for the party ahead of the 2027 elections if they were not addressed.

However, a lecturer at Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina, Dr Bala Abdullahi, described the resignations as a normal occurrence in politics.

He said political appointees could leave office because of dissatisfaction, personal considerations or the pursuit of other political opportunities.

Abdullahi also said the timing of the resignations could have political implications for the APC, while cautioning against treating the alleged rift within the party as an established fact.

On the reported disagreement among some APC political actors, he said the issue remained speculative because those involved had not publicly acknowledged any dispute.

“The significance of the resignations may depend on what the former appointees do after leaving office, particularly whether they remain within the governor’s political camp or align with other emerging political groups,” he said.

“As far as what is in the public domain shows, the alleged rift remains a speculation since none of the actors has acknowledged it. It is also clear that they all continue to profess support for the victory of the party.”

The latest development also comes against the backdrop of recent political movements in Katsina, including the return of former Secretary to the State Government, Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa, and other politicians to the APC in the presence of Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

With political activities gathering momentum ahead of 2027, attention is now focused on whether the recent resignations will end with the five officials or lead to further departures from the Radda administration.

Follow Very Nigerian WhatsApp Channel
For Verified Breaking News, Exclusive Reports, Trending Stories, And Real-time Updates.
CLICk HERE TO JOIN!