Katsina PDP and APC attract NNPP members ahead of the 2027 elections

Francis Sardauna in Katsina 

Political realignments are gaining speed as the 2027 general election approaches, and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Katsina State is intensifying its outreach to attract members from rival parties, especially the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Although Katsina has been an APC bastion since 2015, recent movements suggest the PDP is trying to rebuild its grassroots base by exploiting internal disputes, succession concerns, and growing dissatisfaction within the competing camps.

In recent months, a number of politicians, youth mobilisers, and local party coordinators from the APC and NNPP have joined the PDP in various parts of the state. While some defections may appear symbolic, observers say they reveal deeper fractures in the existing party structures.

The PDP’s renewed mobilisation effort is not accidental. After losing federal power in 2015 and suffering electoral setbacks in Katsina, the party has struggled to regain relevance in a state that produced the late President Muhammadu Buhari, whose political influence shaped voting patterns for nearly two decades.

Analysts note that Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, together with National and State Assembly candidates, won the 2023 elections on the APC platform largely because of Buhari’s mass popularity.

They argue that voters backed APC candidates primarily because they wanted the late Buhari as president, a factor that reinforced the party’s success both within and beyond the state.

With Buhari no longer on the ballot and new dynamics such as consensus‑building and “imposition of aspirants” emerging in the APC, pundits warn that Governor Radda and incumbent legislators seeking second terms may encounter obstacles.

Beyond the waning influence of Buhari, security challenges, internal APC power struggles, the rising profile of alternative political figures, growing opposition realignment, economic hardship, and rising living costs could all pose serious hurdles to Radda’s re‑election bid.

Radda’s supporters, however, contend that his administration has focused heavily on security operations, education reforms, health‑care expansion, infrastructure development, and agricultural support. They argue that the governor’s “Building Your Future” blueprint has given his government a developmental identity, especially in rural security interventions and urban planning.

Nevertheless, succession politics and the consensus process adopted by the state APC have already sparked silent realignments among political actors. For these reasons, among others, the PDP believes the political environment in Katsina is gradually shifting in its favour ahead of the 2027 elections.

Several key figures who feel politically sidelined within the ruling APC, NNPP, and African Democratic Congress (ADC) have begun defecting to the PDP, viewing the party as an alternative platform for negotiation, visibility, and possible electoral opportunities.

While defections in Nigerian politics often stem more from access to political structures and future tickets than from ideology, the departure of these figures is reportedly unsettling the APC camp in the state.

One recent defector is Mr. Nura Khalid, the 2023 NNPP gubernatorial candidate. He left the NNPP for the opposition party together with thousands of supporters across the state.

Khalid, a well‑known political figure in Katsina, has secured PDP expression of interest and nomination forms for the Funtua Senatorial District, where he intends to challenge the APC consensus candidate and incumbent Senator Muntari Dandutse in the 2027 election.

Khalid’s exit raises the question for the NNPP whether it can remain relevant in an increasingly competitive political environment or risk losing further members to larger parties such as the PDP, which possess stronger financial and organisational capacity.

State observers believe Khalid currently commands broader grassroots influence and a more active political structure than Dandutse in several parts of the state, including the southern senatorial district.

Khalid’s growing popularity is linked to his strong engagement with youths, community mobilisation, and an expanding network of loyal supporters across local government areas. His supporters argue that his accessibility and consistent outreach have bolstered his acceptance among grassroots politicians and party stakeholders.

Senator Dandutse, who serves in the National Assembly and remains a recognised political figure, still retains influence within established political circles and among longtime supporters.

However, analysts note that his political structure appears less visible at the grassroots level compared with the momentum surrounding Nura Khalid.

Another defection that has puzzled political observers is that of Hon. Hamisu Gambo. Gambo moved to the ruling APC alongside his mentor Ibrahim Shema, but unexpectedly left the party a few months after the celebrated defection.

Gambo, a former Chairman of Katsina Local Government and former member of the House of Representatives, has taken the PDP form for the Katsina Senatorial District to challenge APC consensus candidate Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua.

Now a successful entrepreneur who has contributed significantly to the education sector in Katsina, Gambo is said to possess a political bloc capable of wresting power from Yar’Adua in 2027 and is regarded as a strong grassroots mobiliser with loyal local supporters.

Yar’Adua enjoys institutional influence due to his position in the National Assembly and his connection to the prominent Yar’Adua political family, but critics and some constituents label him the “worst‑performing” senator in the zone since the return to democracy in 1999.

Although the senator has implemented some empowerment programmes within the Katsina senatorial district, opponents argue that he lacks the political credence, performance record, and grassroots structures needed for re‑election despite the automatic ticket granted to him by the APC in the state.

Observers say Gambo’s influence is more established within and outside the senatorial district, business circles, and among traditional political stakeholders than that of the serving senator.

Another wave of defections has struck the APC as House of Representatives member and party stalwart Shehu Tafoki left the ruling party for the PDP after failing to secure the APC consensus ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.

Tafoki, a former Deputy Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly who currently represents the Kankara/Faskari/Sabuwa Federal Constituency, has already obtained the PDP expression of interest and nomination forms.

In addition, the APC Central Zone Youth Leader, Ismail Yandaki, resigned from his position and defected to the PDP after he could not secure the party’s ticket to contest the Kaita State Assembly seat.

In a resignation letter addressed to the APC chairman of Yandaki Ward, the former youth leader formally announced his exit from the party to pursue his political ambition with the PDP.

Consensus arrangements and perceived exclusion from decision‑making processes ahead of 2027 also forced another aspirant, Surajo Abduljabbar, who sought the APC consensus ticket for the Bakori/Danja House of Representatives seat, to defect to the PDP.

The principal factor driving the growing acceptance of the PDP in Katsina is Senator Yakubu Lado’s consistent grassroots interventions and humanitarian engagements across the state, which have made the party more visible.

Political observers believe many defectors are attracted not merely by party ideology but by the expanding political structure and personal influence that Senator Lado has built over the years.

Unlike many politicians who become visible only during election seasons, Lado has maintained relevance through sustained empowerment programmes, educational support initiatives, medical assistance, youth interventions, and community outreach projects.

Through