•Almustapha Saulawa
Almustapha Saulawa, the former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor of Katsina Aminu Masari, has defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the opposition African Democratic Congress, declaring that his decision was driven by principle and the need to “rescue” Katsina State.
Saulawa announced his defection today at the ADC Secretariat in Katsina while formally registering as a member of the ADC alongside a large group of supporters, many of them youths, reports The PUNCH.
He said his appearance at the party secretariat was necessary to legitimise his political activities.
“I’m here to declare myself as a tentative member of ADC, as it is enshrined in the law that I cannot act until I belong. That is why I’m here to become a member of ADC today together with my supporters, which of course are the teeming youth of Katsina,” he said.
A founding figure of the APC in Katsina, Saulawa said he had reached a breaking point after years of loyalty to the party.
The former Chief of Staff claimed the ADC has become a major threat to the ruling party.
He further said that only two categories of people remain in the APC.
According to him, “I was part and parcel of the ruling APC, who worked tirelessly from scratch, but today I decided to join ADC. I was tired of being a sycophant to my former party.
“I’m sure ADC will win come 2027, and APC knows that ADC will win, having seen what people, especially the youth, belong to. They know they are not going anywhere come 2027.
“APC has only two people left in the party as we speak, those intimidated by empty threats, and those in government who are afraid of losing their daily stipends or being denied contracts if they leave for another party, especially the ADC,” Saulawa stated.
On his political ambition, Saulawa said he has yet to decide whether he would seek elective office in 2027, stressing that his immediate focus is party building.
“I’m yet to decide if I will contest come 2027, but my main aim of joining was to establish the party and champion the way forward to rescue Katsina State,” he said.
Addressing concerns about his relationship with the current governor, Dikko Umar Radda, Saulawa described his defection as a personal choice that would not strain ties. “Politics is a personal thing. Despite my relationship with the present Governor Dikko Umar Radda, it will not affect anything because it is my personal thing,” he noted.
Recounting his political journey, Saulawa emphasised his role in building the APC at both state and federal levels, which he said culminated in his appointment as Chief of Staff under Masari.
“As I said, I was part of those who built APC to what it is today, both from the state and at the federal level, which is why I was able to serve at various levels of government to the last position I held as Chief of Staff to former Governor Aminu Bello Masari. I decided I’m no longer going with them,” he said.
Saulawa’s defection is widely seen as more than a personal political move. His entry into the ADC adds to a growing list of high-profile defectors in Katsina, including former Secretary to the State Government Mustapha Inuwa, Senator Ibrahim Tsauri, and Senator Baban Kaita.
Together, their alignment suggests an emerging coalition capable of challenging the APC’s long-standing dominance in the state.
