•Rabiu Kwankwaso
Former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is set to defect from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) alongside thousands of his supporters.
According to sources within the Kwankwasiyya Movement, the defection is likely to take place next week, reports Weekend Trust.
The move, it was gathered, followed a unanimous endorsement by key stakeholders of the movement after a strategic meeting held at Kwankwaso’s residence on Miller Road in Kano.
Sources said talks with the NDC had reached advanced stages, with only minor details left to be finalised, adding that Kwankwaso and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, were expected to formally join the party early next week.
Prominent figures in the Kwankwasiyya movement have defended the planned defection, citing lingering crisis within the ADC.
An ally of Kwankwaso and a leader in the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Dr. Yusuf Kofarmata, said the party was battling multiple legal and structural challenges that could undermine its survival.
“ADC as a party is battling with so many crises. It will be a miracle for the party to survive the internal and external factors currently working against its unity and progress,” he said.
Kofarmata pointed to ongoing court cases, including dispute over party leadership and the nullification of congresses and the national convention by a Federal High Court, as well as fresh litigations in Kano challenging the legitimacy of party executives.
He also warned that the legal uncertainties could jeopardise the party’s participation in the 2027 general elections, drawing parallels with the 2019 Zamfara APC crisis.
Another Kwankwasiyya leader, Shehu Wada Sagagi, said the decision to move to the NDC was taken after careful consideration of the risks facing the ADC.
“In his wisdom, our leader and the movement agreed that going to the NDC is the best option because there are more dangerous legal threats against the ADC. We must look for a way out,” he said.
The development has already triggered defections at the grassroots level.
A key Kwankwasiyya figure in Dala Local Government Area, Hon. Kabiru Adamu Abdullahi, announced his resignation from the ADC, citing directives from the movement’s leadership.
In a letter dated May 1, 2026, addressed to his ward chairman, Abdullahi said he was leaving the party with immediate effect.
“I sincerely appreciate the opportunity given to me to be part of the party and wish you and the party the very best,” he said.
In a separate statement shared on social media, he linked his decision to the directive of Kwankwaso, popularly referred to as “Jagora” by supporters.
