Speculation is mounting that Kano Central District senator, Rufa’i Hanga, a member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), is set to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following a meeting with Governor Abba Yusuf.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Hanga cast doubt on his party’s national prospects, stating that the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, cannot win the 2027 presidential election.
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Before meeting with the governor, Mr Hanga had met with the National Chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yilwatda.
The successive meetings have led political observers to conclude that the lawmaker is planning to ditch his longtime ally, Mr Kwankwaso.
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They reportedly fell out after Mr Hanga lost his senatorial ticket and was bypassed in the nomination of the NDC deputy governorship candidate.
While Mr Hanga did not disclose the details of his closed-door meetings with the governor and the APC national chairman, he said during an interview with Freedom Radio on Friday that he has lost faith in the NDC’s national political future.
Mr Hanga said a critical analysis of the current political situation reveals that Mr Obi nor Mr Kwankwaso do not enjoy the support required for victory in the presidential election.
“In the north, Obi has Kwankwaso as running mate, and Kwankwaso is only popular in Kano, and even now, his popularity is 50/50 because previously, while we were in the ADC, we had people in Katsina, Jigawa, and Kaduna, but now we no longer have them because those people refused to join us in the NDC and remain in the ADC.
“Peter Obi can only win in Anambra and get some percentage of votes in some states in the south,” Mr Hanga stated.
Mr Hanga said the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, stands a better chance of winning in the North-west and North-east geopolitical zones than President Bola Tinubu.
He attributed this to dissatisfaction with the current administration, arguing that raging insecurity and President Tinubu’s economic policies are taking away the president’s popularity nationwide, “with even southerners protesting that Tinubu must go in 2027.”
Parting ways with Kwankwaso
Mr Hanga’s sharp criticism of his own party’s presidential ticket has come as a shock to many political observers, especially given his recent declarations of absolute loyalty to the Kwankwasiyya movement while accusing Governor Yusuf of betrayal.
However, the lawmaker indicated a shift in perspective, stating that he now understands the governor’s decision to sever ties with Mr Kwankwaso and defect to the APC—an action he no longer views as a betrayal.
“Now, if I leave Kwankwaso, nobody can say I betrayed anybody. If anyone says I betrayed someone, I will recommend that person to be sent to Goron Dutse Prison or Dawanau Psychiatric Hospital,” Mr Hanga said.
READ ALSO: Kano governor announces running mate for 2027
“When Abba Yusuf left, if I had followed him, that is when they would have said I betrayed Kwankwaso. I stayed with Kwankwaso and followed him through the nooks and crannies of this country. I was with him. If tomorrow I say I am no longer following him, should that be seen as betrayal?” Mr Hanga added in a separate video circulating on social media.
Insiders revealed that Mr Hanga’s relationship with Mr Kwankwaso soured after the party’s primaries.
The lawmaker lost his bid for the Kano Central senatorial ticket and was overlooked for the deputy governorship slot—a position he said he had expected as compensation.
The NDC nominated Mustapha Kwankwaso, the eldest son of Mr Kwankwaso, as the running mate to the governorship candidate, Aminu Abdulsalam.
Mr Hanga said he was abroad for a medical checkup when the running mate was announced.
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