APC gains momentum as 774 NNPP members decamp in Kano

A major political shift has emerged in Kano’s Rimin Gado area, where hundreds of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) supporters have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), signalling growing realignments ahead of future political battles.

The development has stirred fresh conversations in the state’s political circles about the APC’s expanding influence.

The group of 774 defectors was formally received into the ruling party on Friday by Rabiu Bichi, Managing Director of the Hadejia–Jam’are River Basin Development Authority.

He applauded their move, describing it as “a decision that aligns with the direction Nigeria is heading.”

Bichi added that the political landscape is changing rapidly, and many citizens “are choosing performance over sentiment.”

He argued that the APC has demonstrated the capacity to drive national progress, citing what he described as notable interventions under President Bola Tinubu.

Moreover, he explained that several ongoing and completed projects in the northern region reflect the administration’s development commitment.

Bichi revealed that Kano State alone has benefited from more than 18 significant projects valued in the billions, stressing that such investments were evidence of the party’s focus on infrastructure and economic expansion.

However, he criticised some state governments for diverting funds earmarked for development into unrelated sectors, a trend he warned could hinder long-term growth.

He highlighted the Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that its programmes were already improving food security and stimulating economic recovery across the country.

“Those joining us today will be welcomed as family. No one will be treated as a newcomer,” he assured the defectors.

The leader of the group, Mohammad Karofin-Yashi, said their decision to embrace the APC stemmed from visible improvements across the state and country.

He maintained that the party had shown a stronger blueprint for development and governance.

“We have seen tangible change, and we want to be part of a movement that can sustain it,” he said.

Karofin-Yashi further promised to mobilise more NNPP members in the coming weeks, insisting that the APC offered a clearer path to Kano’s advancement and Nigeria’s future progress.

His remarks suggest that more defections could be on the horizon, deepening the unfolding political shifts within the state.