The Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the 2023 Kaduna State governorship election, Isa Ashiru, has formally resigned his membership from the party.

Ashiru tendered his resignation in a letter dated March 27 and addressed to the ward chairman of Kudan Ward in Kudan Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

In the letter, a copy of which was posted on his verified Facebook page on Monday, Ashiru said he made the decision after “careful reflection on the state of affairs within the party.”

“I write with a deep sense of humility to formally notify the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of my decision to resign my membership of the party, effective from today, the 27th day of March, 2026.

“After careful reflection over the persistent internal leadership crisis, conflicts, rancour and divisions within the party, it has become increasingly difficult for me to continue to participate actively as a member of the party.

“This decision is personal and taken in good faith,” he said.

Later on Monday, the former lawmaker posted a poster of himself in the African Democratic Congress logo on his Facebook page, confirming his defection to the party.

Ashiru, who also holds the traditional title of Sarkin Bai Zazzau, is a former federal lawmaker who represented the Makarfi/Kudan constituency in the House of Representatives.

He previously served two terms in the Kaduna State House of Assembly before moving to the National Assembly.

He had contested against former Governor Nasir el-Rufai on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in 2015 but lost in the primaries before returning to the PDP ahead of the 2019 general elections.

He later became the PDP governorship candidate but was defeated by el-Rufai.

He contested again in 2023 under the PDP but lost to APC’s Governor Uba Sani.

Sani polled 730,002 votes, while Ashiru scored 719,196 votes. (The PUNCH)