Kano lawmaker defects to NDC after losing APC return ticket

A member of the Kano State House of Assembly, Abdulmajid Mai Rigar Fata, has defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Nigeria Democratic Congress after reportedly failing to secure the APC return ticket for the next election.

Mr Abdulmajid Mai Rigar Fata, who represents Gwale Constituency in Kano State, was formally received on Thursday by former Kano State governor and NDC leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, at his Maitama residence in Abuja.

The development was disclosed by Mr Kwankwaso’s media aide, Saifullahi Hassan, in a statement shared via Facebook.

According to the statement, Mr Abdulmajid Isa Umar Mai Rigar Fata joined the NDC alongside former Gwale Local Government Vice Chairman, Kabiru Sani Auwal Obi, and party associate, Mahadi Isa Umar.

Mr Hassan stated that the lawmaker was officially welcomed into the NDC by Mr Kwankwaso during the meeting in Abuja.

Reports indicate that the latest political move followed Mr Mai Rigar Fata’s inability to secure the APC ticket to return to the Kano State House of Assembly.

Political background

Mr Mai Rigar Fata was first elected into the Assembly in 2023 under the New Nigeria Peoples Party before later defecting to the APC alongside Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

His constituency, Gwale Local Government Area, remains politically significant in Kano State and is considered one of the strategic strongholds in the state’s political landscape.

The latest defection adds to growing political realignments in Kano ahead of future elections.

Court ruling may trigger more defections

The development came shortly after a Federal High Court ruling that reportedly cleared legal hurdles for politicians seeking to defect to alternative political platforms ahead of elections.

Reacting to the judgment, spokesman of the African Democratic Congress, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ruling could trigger mass defections from the APC.

According to the ADC, the judgment strengthens freedom of association and could open the door for more politicians seeking alternative political platforms.