The gale of defection has continued to wreak havoc on the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s current chief of staff, Ali Makoda, leading other notable politicians in Kano North to dump the party.
Speaking to newsmen on Friday night, Mr Makoda confirmed his defection to Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.
He said he already tendered his resignation as chief of staff to Mr Ganduje earlier in the day.
Mr Makoda was received at Mr Kwankwaso’s Miller Road residence in Kano alongside other decampees from Kano North.
Among those who defected from APC to NNPP are Badamasi Ayuba, a serving member representing Dambatta/Makoda Federal Constituency; Murtala Kore, serving member of the state House of Assembly representing Dambatta and; Abdullahi Wango, serving chairman of Dambatta Local Government Council.
Others are Ahmed Speaker, the State Auditor of APC; Najib Abdussalam, the zonal APC Youth Leader; Umar Maitsidau, former chairman of Makoda Local Government; Halliru Danga Maigari, former member of the House of Assembly representing Rimingado/Tofa and; Hafizu Sani Maidaji, former member of the state House of Assembly representing Dambatta Constituency.
Also joining the defection train are Safiyanu Harbau, former member of the House of Representatives representing Tsanyawa/Kunchi Federal Constituency, Habiba Yandalla, immediate-past APC Women Leader, among other notable politicians.
Recall that on May 6, nine members of the state House of Assembly defected from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to NNPP.
They are Isyaku Ali Danja (Gezawa Constituency), Umar Musa Gama (Nassarawa Constituency), Aminu Sa’adu Ungogo (Ungogo Constituency), Lawan Hussain Chediyar ‘Yan Gurasa (Dala Constituency) and Tukur Muhammad (Fagge Constituency).
Others are Mu’azzam El-Yakub (Dawakin Kudu Constituency), Garba Shehu Fammar (Kibiya Constituency), Abubakar Uba Galadima (Bebeji Constituency) and Mudassir Ibrahim Zawaciki (Kumbotso Constituency).
A week later, a former speaker of the House of Assembly and serving member of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Rurum, decamped from APC to NNPP alongside a former adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly matters, Kawu Sumaila.
Two former speakers of the state House of Assembly, Gambo Sallau and Alhassan Abubakar Kibiya also defected from APC to NNPP.
On May 11, three APC lawmakers in the Kano State House of Assembly defected to NNPP. They are Abdullahi Iliyasu-Yaryasa, member representing Tudunwada Constituency; Muhammed Bello Butu-Butu, member representing Tofa/Rimin Gado Constituency and; Kabiru Yusuf Ismail, member representing Madobi Constituency.
On May 12, the deputy speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Zubairu Hamza Massu, and member representing Bagwai/Shanono in the Assembly, Ali Isa Shanono also joined the defection frenzy to NNPP.
Also joining the NNPP on Friday is Abdulmumin Jibrin, a campaigner of the APC presidential aspirant Bola Tinubu as well as the immediate-past Kano State commissioner for Budget Planning Nura Dankadai.
A former governor of Kano State and serving senator representing Kano Central is expected to formally announce his defection to NNPP at the weekend.
