The crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Katsina State has worsened as 34 House of Assembly aspirants defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), amid reports that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is making efforts to woo former governorship aspirant, Mustapha Inuwa, back to the party.
The development follows recent controversies surrounding the ADC governorship primary election, which reportedly created factions within the party and led to parallel structures and rival claims over its governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reports indicate that some APC stakeholders recently held separate meetings with Inuwa, a former Secretary to the Katsina State Government and one of the leading contenders for the ADC governorship ticket.
Inuwa, a founding member of the APC in Katsina State, left the party after failing to secure its governorship ticket ahead of the 2023 elections.
He subsequently joined the PDP, where he served as Director-General of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaign in the state, before later moving to the ADC.
According to the reports, the APC first sent Jabiru Tsauri, a former Chief of Staff to the governor and current Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, to meet Inuwa.
The party was also said to have delegated Deputy Governor Lawal Jobe to hold another closed-door meeting with him.
Although details of the meetings were not disclosed, political observers believe the move is part of the APC’s efforts to strengthen its position ahead of the next election cycle.
The APC’s reported outreach comes amid growing divisions within the ADC following its governorship primary election.
Inuwa and some other aspirants had challenged the emergence of Ahmed Kaita as the party’s governorship candidate, alleging that the process lacked transparency and failed to comply with provisions of the Electoral Act.
The dispute has continued to generate internal disagreements within the party.
In another setback for the ADC, 34 House of Assembly aspirants from 18 local government areas formally defected to the PDP.
The defectors were received by PDP leaders during a gathering held on Tuesday evening.
Speaking on behalf of the group, the leader of the ADC House of Assembly aspirants, Ahmad Yusuf Jaguma, attributed their decision to alleged injustice, poor leadership and lack of internal democracy within the ADC.
“We thought deeply, and we found that PDP is the solution. We left a disorganised journey and returned to our original home,” Jaguma said.
He explained that many of them initially joined the ADC with the expectation that PDP leader in the state, Sen. Yakubu Lado Danmarke, would also move to the party.
According to him, they reconsidered their position after that did not happen.
Reacting to the defections, the Katsina State PDP Chairman, Nuraddeen Kurfi, described the return of the aspirants as evidence of the party’s increasing acceptance across the state.
“You will have a full opportunity and justice in PDP. This party is home for everyone, and we are confident you will be proud of the decision you made,” Kurfi said.
Also speaking, the PDP governorship candidate, Yakubu Danmarke, welcomed the defectors and expressed optimism that more politicians would join the party in the coming weeks.
Danmarke said discussions were ongoing with several prominent political figures in the state.
The latest developments underscore the challenges facing the ADC in Katsina State as internal disputes continue to affect its efforts to position itself as a strong opposition party ahead of the 2027 elections.
