Former Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Mustapha Inuwa, has defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and directed his supporters to return to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with him.
Mr Inuwa announced the decision at a meeting with his political associates and supporters at his office in Katsina on Sunday.
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His supporters from across the state spoke at the meeting before Mr Inuwa announced the decision.
The former SSG said supporters who followed him into the ADC should write letters indicating their withdrawal from the opposition party.
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“What we are asking our people, especially those who joined the ADC, is that from today, everyone should write a letter of resignation from the ADC,” he said in Hausa.
He said the withdrawal took effect on Sunday, 9 August.
Mr Inuwa, who was a founding figure of the APC in Katsina before leaving the party after the 2022 governorship primary, said returning to the ruling party had emerged as the preferred option after weeks of consultations with his political associates.
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He said his group considered several options before reaching the decision.
“We believe that, in Katsina, there is no easier option than joining the government’s movement and joining the APC,” he said.
Mr Inuwa said the APC was not unfamiliar territory for him, recalling his role in the party’s formation in Katsina and his service as Secretary to the State Government under the administration of former Governor Aminu Masari.
He also disclosed that he held discussions with Governor Dikko Radda before Sunday’s announcement.
According to Mr Inuwa, the governor assured him that his advice would be considered and that efforts would be made to promote unity within the ruling party.
He did not disclose whether any specific political concessions, appointments or party positions were agreed upon.
Acknowledges hardship, insecurity
Despite announcing his return to the APC, Mr Inuwa acknowledged continuing economic hardship and insecurity in Katsina and across the country.
He urged the state government and the APC leadership to use the coming months to address residents’ complaints.
He particularly called for greater use of state and local government structures to reduce economic hardship and urged the federal government to intensify efforts against insecurity.
Mr Inuwa said he expected significant improvements in security within the next two or three months.
The former SSG also appealed to APC leaders and members to accommodate those joining the party, arguing that both groups would need to work together ahead of the next elections.
ADC crisis
Mr Inuwa’s departure followed months of internal disputes within the ADC in Katsina over the party’s leadership and the process for selecting candidates for the 2027 elections.
In his address on Sunday, he repeated his allegation that the party failed to conduct proper primaries or valid consensus processes in selecting candidates.
He said repeated efforts to get the national leadership to resolve the dispute had failed.
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Mr Inuwa claimed that a senior leader of the political movement promised on five occasions to meet him over the controversy, but that none of the meetings took place. He did not identify the official.
He also criticised the handling of aspirants for the state and federal legislatures, alleging that some candidates were selected without the participation of those who had indicated interest in the positions.
Mr Inuwa described the ADC in Katsina as politically “dead,” claiming that many of those who built its structure had already left.
Mr Inuwa was one of the leading figures who challenged the ADC’s candidate-selection process following the party’s disputed exercises earlier this year.
His return to the APC also reunites him politically with Mr Radda, whom he contested against for the APC governorship ticket in 2022 before subsequently leaving the party.
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