The political atmosphere in Kaduna took a new turn on Saturday as four members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, five members of the House of Representatives, and thousands of their supporters dumped their parties to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) at a massive rally held at Murtala Square, Kaduna.

The event, described as one of the biggest political gatherings in the state in recent years, was attended by top APC figures, including the party?s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal; and the Chairman of the North West Development Commission, Lawal Yakawada.

With these defections, the APC has further strengthened its grip on Kaduna?s political landscape. The party now controls 13 out of the state?s 16 seats in the House of Representatives, leaving the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with only three. In the State Assembly, the APC now boasts 26 members, while the PDP has just eight.

Governor Uba Sani, while welcoming the new members, described the APC as ?one big family? where no one is treated as an outsider. He assured the defectors that they would enjoy equal rights and opportunities as old members of the party.

?What matters most,? he said, ?is your ability to connect with the grassroots and serve the people who elected you. In APC, we don?t discriminate; we work together for the progress of Kaduna State.?

Sani highlighted the growing strength of the APC, noting that the party had only four federal lawmakers in 2023 but now has 14.

?Today in Kaduna, we hardly have an opposition,? the governor boasted. ?When I told President Bola Tinubu we would deliver 80 percent of the votes in 2027, I meant it. But now, I believe APC will get up to 95 percent of votes in the next election.?

He attributed the party?s rising popularity to his administration?s focus on fairness, justice, and inclusion.

?Kaduna is one of the most diverse states in Nigeria, and we have turned that diversity into our strength,? he said. ?Since we took office, there has been no ethno-religious crisis. We are united, and we believe politics should be about improving people?s lives, not dividing them.?

APC National Chairman Yilwatda described the party as ?the promised land for Nigerian politicians,? saying both President Tinubu and Governor Sani deserve another term for their performance.

House Speaker Abbas, himself from Kaduna, declared that the APC has achieved a level of dominance never before seen in the state. ?From Zone 1 to Zone 3, APC is the party to beat. We have never been this strong,? he said to loud cheers.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Honourable Husseini Jalo expressed gratitude to Sani and Tinubu for providing ?effective and fair leadership.? He declared that Kaduna had become a ?one-party state,? promising full support for their re-election bids in 2027.

Among the defectors were federal lawmakers Sadiq Ango (Sabon Gari), Andulkarim Husseini Ahmad (Kaduna South), Aliyu Mustapha Abdullahi (Ikara/Kubau), and Hussaini Jalo (Igabi). Other prominent figures who joined include former Senators Danjuma Lah, Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, Shehu Sani, former Governor Muktar Ramalan Yero, and the PDP?s state secretary, Hon. Saidu Adamu.

With these new additions, the APC appears set to tighten its hold on Kaduna ahead of the 2027 elections, leaving the opposition scrambling to stay relevant in the state?s fast-changing political terrain. (BusinessDay)

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