The political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections has gathered fresh momentum in Katsina State, with Governor Dikko Umar Radda receiving politicians and supporters who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The latest batch of defectors is from Safana Local Government Area and was formally presented to the governor at the Katsina Government House by the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abduljalal Haruna Runka, alongside the Chairman of Safana Local Government Council, Abdullahi Sani, popularly known as Brazil.
The development represents another boost for the APC as political parties intensify their mobilisation and realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Receiving the new members at the Government House Council Chamber, Governor Radda welcomed them into the APC and assured them that his administration would sustain its development programmes across Safana and other parts of the state.
He also called for unity between existing party members and the new entrants, urging them to work together towards strengthening the APC and supporting its programmes across the state.
Presenting the defectors, Deputy Speaker Runka said the delegation had formally reaffirmed its allegiance to the APC and highlighted the administration’s projects and interventions in Safana as among the factors behind the political shift.
The Chairman of Safana Local Government Council, Abdullahi Sani, similarly pledged continued mobilisation and cooperation among political stakeholders in the area to consolidate the APC’s position in the local government.
The former PDP members, led by Yahaya Abubakar (Dan Area), said Governor Radda’s style of governance and development initiatives influenced their decision to leave the opposition party. They specifically cited the state’s subsidised fertiliser programme as an example of policies they considered inclusive, noting that beneficiaries were not restricted by party affiliation.
The ADC delegation, led by Umme Yakubu Safana, also cited confidence in Governor Radda’s leadership and development agenda as reasons for joining the APC.
The latest development comes against the backdrop of intense political manoeuvring in Katsina ahead of 2027. The ADC has faced internal disagreements over its leadership and governorship ticket, with competing camps and disputes over the party’s candidate-selection process receiving attention in recent months.
The state’s political landscape has also witnessed defections in both directions. In May, for instance, a Katsina member of the House of Representatives, Shehu Tafoki, left the APC for the PDP after failing to secure a consensus ticket, highlighting the fluid nature of the state’s political calculations ahead of the next general election.
Against that backdrop, the movement of PDP and ADC supporters into the APC in Safana is likely to be viewed as another attempt by the ruling party to consolidate its grassroots structure as the 2027 contest draws closer.
For Governor Radda, the influx of opposition politicians provides an opportunity to reinforce the APC’s presence at the local level, while for the PDP and ADC, the defections represent another test of their ability to retain grassroots support in one of the country’s politically significant states.
