2 Top Northern Senators Meet Tinubu Amid Plot To Dump Kwankwaso, Obi Ahead of 2027, Photos Emerge
- President Tinubu received two senior NDC figures from Kano State at the Presidential Villa in a meeting led by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau
- Senator Rufai Hanga is set to leave the NDC after losing out on the Kano Central Senatorial ticket, a deputy governorship slot, and key party appointments
- Senator Kabiru Gaya also lost his bid for the Kano South NDC Senatorial seat after a consensus candidate emerged from Kwankwaso's camp
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, July 27, received two prominent New Nigeria Peoples Party (NDC) politicians from Kano State at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
This is coming ahead of their expected formal defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) next week.
Source: Twitter
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau led the delegation, which included Senator Rufai Hanga and former Senator Kabiru Gaya, into the meeting with the President.
Sources familiar with the visit confirmed that both men are set to formally cross to the APC, a move that would further tighten the ruling party's grip on Kano State politics.
Why Hanga is leaving the NDC
Senator Rufai Hanga's departure from the NDC follows a series of setbacks within the party. He lost the Kano Central Senatorial ticket, was passed over for the deputy governorship slot, and was not considered for any significant position by party leader Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The accumulation of those disappointments is understood to be the main driver behind his decision to switch parties.
Gaya also shut out by Kwankwaso camp
Former Senator Kabiru Gaya had a similar experience.
He sought the NDC's Kano South Senatorial seat but was edged out after a consensus candidate backed by Kwankwaso's inner circle emerged from the process. With no clear path to a ticket under the NDC, Gaya is now set to return to the APC, a party he had previously been associated with.
The Barau-led visit signals that the APC is actively working to consolidate political support in Kano ahead of the 2027 general elections. The formal defection of both senators next week is expected to add considerable weight to the ruling party's presence in one of Nigeria's most politically significant states.
Influential APC senator resigns from party
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi, who represents Osun Central Senatorial District, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), barely 12 months after he defected to the ruling party.
Fadeyi announced his resignation in a letter addressed to the Senate President, saying the decision took immediate effect. He cited what he described as a breach of prior agreements, a lack of internal democracy, and a total loss of confidence in the APC leadership in Osun State.
Source: Legit.ng
