WorldStage— In a major political shakeup, Nigeria’s Senator Rufa’i Hanga, the lawmaker representing Kano Central Senatorial District, has defected from the opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The high-profile defection was formalized following a resignation letter addressed to his former party’s leadership.
The move marks a monumental shift in Kano State’s legislative dynamics, as Hanga was previously the lone opposition lawmaker representing the state in the red chamber.
Hanga’s defection comes amid a sweeping wave of political realignments sweeping across Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre.
The APC in Kano formally received Hanga alongside former Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, the Chairman of a faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Senator Mas’ud El-Jibrin Doguwa, and an estimated 136,000 supporters who moved with them.
The mass defection is a severe blow to the NDC’s presence in northern Nigeria.
Observers note that Hanga’s decision followed unresolved friction within the NDC leadership, specifically regarding grievances over internal party structures and allocations under the party’s leadership.
Prior to his entry into the APC, Hanga had held brief talks with top political actors, including an engagement with the APC National Chairman.
Before the defection, Hanga stood out as the sole voice of the opposition from Kano State in the National Assembly’s upper chamber. With his exit from the NDC, the opposition’s foothold in the state’s senatorial representation has been completely erased.
Hanga now joins his counterparts—Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau (Kano North) and Senator Kawu Sumaila (Kano South)—in the ruling party, giving the APC total control of all three senatorial seats in Kano State.
Political analysts suggest that consolidating all Kano senators under one umbrella gives the ruling party significant leverage ahead of upcoming electoral seasons, particularly in bolstering its regional influence.
Welcoming the defectors, APC leadership sources in Kano described the influx of seasoned politicians as a validation of the ruling party’s policies and a step toward unifying the state’s political landscape.
For the NDC, the departure of its most prominent federal lawmaker in the state represents a major structural setback that will require significant efforts to rebuild.
