Former Governor of Kano state, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso has, Tuesday, reportedly defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, party to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. According to reports not yet authenticated, Senator Kwankwaso defected with 10 Kano state lawmakers.
His defection may not be unconnected with his ordeals in the ruling party.
Recall that in March last year, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Kano State chapter had initiated moves to suspend him over what it termed anti-party activities.
The then chairman, Kano chapter of the party, Alhaji Haruna Umar Doguwa, had told newsmen in Kano that the senator had, during a visit to the state, allegedly exhibited actions capable of compromising the partyโs unity. According to Doguwa: โThe case of party indiscipline by Kwankwaso would be thoroughly investigated and dealt with in accordance with the constitution of our party.โ However, the true reasons why the Senator may have defected to the opposition party is yet to be ascertained.
It would be recalled that sometime in November 2013, 5 governors elected on the platform of the Peoplesโ Democratic Party (PDP) decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC). It was an unprecedented move in Nigeriaโs political history and formed the foundation for APCโs victory at the 2015 general elections. The governors who led their supporters and political structures to APC were Governors Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers). They were joined by other political heavyweights such as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Senator Bukola Saraki, the then Speaker of the House of Representatives โ Aminu Tambuwal, Shaba Lafiagi, Mohammed Ndume, Danjuma Goje, Abdullahi Adam, Bindo Jubrilla and Abdullahi Gobir. Others include Dr. Samuel Ortom, former Speaker Aminu Bello Masari, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu and Barrister Simon Lalong. In fact, of the 17 state governors elected on the platform of APC in Northern Nigeria only 7 are not ex-PDP members
