Abdullahi Gantuve, governor of the state of Kano, and the president of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, received two heads of the New People’s Party of Nigeria (NNPP) who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Rano Local Government Area of the state.
APC Presidential hopeful Mr. Lawan visited Kano on Saturday to canvass state delegates in the party’s upcoming presidential primary.
The defecting politicians, Muhammad Kawu and Alhassan Dattijo, said they left to protest the NNPP’s alleged imposition of candidates for the Rano/Kibiya/Bunkure federal constituency and for the member representing Rano local government in the state assembly.
Reportedly, the NNPP anointed Ibrahim Malami to run for the state assembly seat, while Kabiru Alhassan was anointed for the House of Representatives.
Mr. Alhassan, an active member of the House of Representatives, recently joined the NNPP from APC after protesting against Mr. Gantuve for appointing his deputy Nasiru Gawuna as his successor.
Buhari Abba-Rano, Mr. Dattijo’s spokesman, told reporters that his director defected to the APC to pursue his political ambition, which was allegedly denied by the NNPP.
“The council areas of Rano, Kibiya, Bunure belong to the two politicians because they are very popular political leaders, but unfortunately, a list of anointed candidates has just emerged without our consent,” said Abba-Rano.
The spokesman said that the president of the Senate and Gantuve received them on Saturday along with thousands of their supporters from Rano, Kibiya and Bunkure local government areas.
PREMIUM TIMES reported a similar incident in which Ali Isah, a representative of the Bagwai/Shanono constituency in the Kano State House of Assembly, returned to the APC days after defecting to the NNPP.
PREMIUM TIMES has learned that Mr. Isah has also returned to the APC after failing to get a return ticket from the NNPP.
Leading politicians in the state, including former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, have left the APC for the NNPP.