Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State says the All Progressives Congress (APC) now controls about 95 percent of the political structure in the state following the defection of several lawmakers and thousands of their supporters from opposition parties.
At a mega rally held over the weekend at the Murtala Mohammed Square, Kaduna, four members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, five members of the House of Representatives, and thousands of their supporters formally joined the ruling party.
With the latest defections, the APC now has 13 members from Kaduna State in the House of Representatives, leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with three, also the Kaduna State House of Assembly now has 26 APC members, while the PDP retains only eight seats.
The event was attended by APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas; Minister of Environment, Alhaji Balarabe Abbas Lawal; and the Chairman of the North West Development Commission, Alhaji Lawal Samaila Yakawada, among thousands of party faithful.
Speaking at the rally, Governor Sani described the APC as a united family that accommodates all, assuring the new members of equal treatment.
“Those that have joined our party today and those that have been with us since inception will enjoy the same privileges. What is more important is your ability to connect with the grassroots and serve your people diligently,” he said.
The governor recalled that the APC had only four members of the House of Representatives in 2023 but now boasts 14 from the state.
“Today in Kaduna, we don’t have any opposition. I told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu months ago that we were targeting 80 percent of the votes in 2027. But now, I can confidently say that about 95 percent of the total votes in Kaduna will go to APC,” he declared.
Governor Sani attributed the mass defections to his administration’s emphasis on justice, fairness, and inclusivity, which he said have fostered peace and unity in the state.
“Our diversity is our strength. Since we came in, Kaduna has not witnessed any ethno-religious crisis, that is unprecedented. Poverty has no respect for religion, ethnicity, or political affiliation. We are working as one family for the progress of our state,” he added.
He further noted that his administration has evenly distributed development projects across the 23 local government areas, covering all three senatorial zones.
APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, described the party as “the promised land” for Nigerian politicians, saying President Tinubu and Governor Sani deserve second terms for their performance.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, said the APC had achieved a level of political dominance never seen before in Kaduna State.
“Today, whether in Zone 1, Zone 2, or Zone 3, APC is the party to beat. We’ve never been this strong,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Hon. Hussaini Jalo thanked President Tinubu and Governor Sani for their exemplary leadership, pledging their full loyalty to the APC.
“Kaduna is now a one-party state. Both President Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani will be re-elected for second terms,” Jalo declared.
Those who defected to the APC include Hon. Sadiq Ango (Sabon Gari Federal Constituency), Hon. Abdulkarim Hussaini Ahmad (Kaduna South), Hon. Aliyu Mustapha Abdullahi (Ikara/Kubau), and Hon. Hussaini Jalo (Igabi).
Others are former Senators Danjuma Lah, Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, and Shehu Sani; former Governor Muktar Ramalan Yero; and Hon. Saidu Adamu, former Secretary of the PDP in Kaduna State.