Former Deputy Governor Decides On APC Return Despite Failed NDC Governorship Ambition

• A close political associate of former Kano deputy governor Nasir Gawuna led a delegation of his allies back to the APC on September 5
• Badaru Umar revealed on Lumana Radio that Gawuna refused to follow them, choosing to stay with the NDC over a senatorial ticket offer
• Gawuna’s allies said they could not convince him to rejoin the APC, making his return highly unlikely ahead of the 2027 elections

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

Kano State – Former Kano State Deputy Governor Nasir Gawuna is set to remain in the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 general elections, despite a wave of defections by his closest political allies back to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Badaru Umar, a former chairman of Ungogo Local Government and one of Gawuna’s most prominent supporters, confirmed this in an interview on Lumana Radio on Monday.

Umar led a delegation that included Gawuna’s younger brother, Mansur, NDC state deputy chairman Ali Datti-Yako, and several other senior allies to a consultation meeting with Governor Abba Yusuf and Deputy Governor Murtala Garo on September 1.

As reported by Premium Times, the group formally rejoined the APC on September 5, 2026.

Umar said the group’s original reason for leaving the APC was to secure a governorship ticket for Gawuna, which never materialised.

“We initially led Mr Gawuna to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), later NDC, with the sole aim of securing a governorship ticket for him, but that was not realised,” he said.

He added that Gawuna chose to stay put after the NDC offered him a…