Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, who represents the Kano South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has officially left the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In recent weeks, the senator’s growing ties with the leadership of the APC had fuelled speculation about his continued allegiance to the opposition NNPP.
Confirming his defection via a text message, the former Special Adviser to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters stated that the “defection is no longer rumour.”
“Yes, it is true, the rumors regarding my defection are accurate. All politics is local, and my primary concern has always been, and remains, the welfare of my immediate constituency,” Sumaila said.
“I am resolutely determined to advance the lives of my people, ensuring their needs are met and their future is secured.”
Sumaila’s defection comes shortly after he was suspended by the NNPP, along with two members of the House of Representatives, over alleged anti-party activities involving the APC.
While all three federal lawmakers denied the allegations, they maintained their refusal to align with the Kwankwasiyya faction of the NNPP.
Reacting to the development, APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, welcomed Sumaila’s decision, describing the NNPP as “dead wood” and affirming the party’s readiness to receive him.
Efforts to get a comment from Hashimu Sulaiman Dungurawa, Chairman of the NNPP’s Kwankwasiyya faction in Kano, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
