Katsina PDP and Harvest of APC, NNPP Members Ahead of 2027 Polls

Francis Sardauna in Katsina 

As political realignments gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general election, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Katsina State appears to be positioning itself for a stronger contest through aggressive political outreach and the attraction of members from rival parties, particularly the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Although Katsina has historically remained an APC stronghold since 2015, recent political movements suggest that the PDP is seeking to rebuild its grassroots influence by capitalising on internal disagreements, succession anxieties and growing dissatisfaction within competing political camps.

In recent months, several politicians, youth mobilisers and local party coordinators from the APC and NNPP have pitched their tents with the PDP in different parts of the state. While some defections may appear symbolic, political observers believe they reflect deeper cracks within existing party structures.

The PDP’s renewed mobilisation strategy is not accidental. Since losing power at the federal level in 2015 and suffering electoral setbacks in Katsina, the party has struggled to regain relevance in a state that produced former (late) President Muhammadu Buhari, whose political influence significantly shaped voting patterns for nearly two decades.

Political analysts say Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, National and State Assembly candidates in the state won the 2023 elections on the APC platform because of Buhari’s mass popularity. 

They argued that the electorate supported APC candidates mainly because they wanted the late Buhari as president. This, they said, further strengthened the party’s electoral success within and outside the state.

However, with Buhari no longer on the ballot and with new political dynamics such as consensus and “imposition of aspirants” emerging in the APC, the pundits revealed that Governor Radda, national and state assembly members seeking second terms might face hurdles.

Aside from the declining Buhari’s electoral influence, prevailing security challenges, internal APC power struggles, growing influence of alternative political figures, rising opposition realignment, economic hardship and rising cost of living, could pose serious challenges to Radda’s re-election bid.

His loyalists, however, said Radda’s administration has concentrated heavily on security operations, education reforms, healthcare expansion, infrastructure development and agricultural support. They argue that the governor’s ‘Building Your Future’ blueprint has given his government a developmental identity, especially in rural security intervention and urban planning.

But succession politics and the consensus adopted by his APC in the state has already triggered silent alignments among political actors. For these reasons, among other factors, the PDP believes the political environment in Katsina is gradually changing to its favour ahead of the 2027 general election.

Already, some key figures who feel politically sidelined within the ruling APC, NNPP and African Democratic Congress (ADC), have started defecting to the PDP because they view the party as an alternative platform for negotiation, visibility and possible electoral opportunities. 

Although, it is a familiar pattern in Nigerian politics where defections are often driven less by ideology and more by access to political structures and future tickets ahead of election, the defection of the political figures is reportedly unsettling the camp of the APC in the state.

One of these political figures who recently defected to the PDP is Mr. Nura Khalid, the 2023 NNPP gubernatorial candidate. He defected to the opposition party alongside his thousands of supporters across the state.

Khalid, a renowned political figure in Katsina State, has since secured the PDP expression of interest and nomination forms for the Funtua Senatorial District to challenge the APC consensus candidate and incumbent Senator Muntari Dandutse for the 2027 election.

Following Khalid’s exit from the NNPP, the challenge for the party will be whether it can maintain relevance in Katsina’s increasingly competitive political environment or risk losing more members to larger parties like the PDP, which have stronger financial and structural capacity.

Also, political observers in the state believe that Khalid currently commands wider grassroots influence and a more active political structure than Dandutse in several parts of the state, including the southern senatorial district of the state.

Khalid’s growing popularity has been linked to his strong engagement with youths, community mobilisation and expanding network of loyal supporters across local government areas. His supporters argue that his accessibility and consistent political outreach have strengthened his acceptance among grassroots politicians and party stakeholders.

On the other hand, Senator Dandutse, who is serving in the National Assembly and remains a recognised political figure, still retains influence within established political circles and among longtime supporters.

However, analysts say his political structure appears less visible at the grassroots level when compared with the growing momentum surrounding Nura Khalid.

Another defection to the PDP that has continued to puzzle political gladiators is that of Hon. Hamisu Gambo, who moved to the ruling APC alongside his political mentor, Ibrahim Shema, but unexpectedly dumped the party just a few months after the widely celebrated defection.

Gambo, a former Chairman of Katsina Local Government and one time member of the House of Representatives, has picked the PDP form for Katsina Senatorial District to challenge APC consensus candidate, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua.

Believed to have transitioned into a successful entrepreneur, making significant contributions to the education sector in Katsina, the Dan-lawan Katsina is said to have the political bloc to wrest power from Yar’Adua in 2027 and is regarded as a strong grassroots mobiliser with loyal local supporters.

Meanwhile, Yar’Adua enjoys institutional influence due to his position in the National Assembly and his connection to the prominent Yar’Adua political family, but is arguably adjudged by critics and some of his constituents as the “worst performing” senator the zone ever had since the return of democracy in 1999.

Although the senator had implemented some empowerment programmes within the Katsina senatorial district, his opponents opined that he lacked political credence, performance and structures to be re-elected despite the automatic ticket given to him by the APC in the state.

Observers within the political circle said Gambo’s influence is more established within and outside the senatorial district, business circles and among traditional political stakeholders than the serving senator.

However, another wave of defection has hit the APC as a serving House of Representatives member and the party’s stalwart, Shehu Tafoki, dumped the ruling party for the PDP after failing to secure the APC consensus ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.

Tafoki, a former Deputy Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly who is currently representing the people of  Kankara/Faskari/Sabuwa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has already obtained the PDP expression of interest and nomination forms.

Also, the APC Central Zone Youth Leader, Ismail Yandaki, resigned from his position and defected to the PDP after he was unable to secure the party’s ticket to contest for the Kaita State Assembly seat.

In a resignation letter addressed to the APC chairman of Yandaki Ward, the former youth leader formally announced his exit from the party to PDP in order to pursue his political ambition.

Consensus arrangements and perceived exclusion from decision-making processes ahead of 2027 apparently forced another aspirant, Surajo Abduljabbar, who sought the APC consensus ticket for the Bakori/Danja House of Representatives seat, to defect to the PDP.

However, the major factor driving the growing acceptance of PDP in Katsina is because of Senator Yakubu Lado’s consistent grassroots interventions and humanitarian engagements across Katsina communities that make the party more visible in the state.

Political observers believe that many defectors joining the PDP are not merely attracted by party ideology, but by the expanding political structure and personal influence Senator Lado has built over the years.

Unlike many politicians who only become visible during election seasons, Lado has maintained political relevance through sustained empowerment programmes, educational support initiatives, medical assistance, youth interventions and community outreach projects.

Through his pet project, Lado Development Foundation, the “grassroot politician” has empowered over 20,000 Katsina indigene students studying in tertiary institutions within and outside Katsina State, with a plan to expand the educational initiative to those studying abroad.

Across the 34 local government areas of the state, beneficiaries of Lado’s interventions openly acknowledge that his support transcends political affiliations, ethnicity and sectional interests.

This strategy has significantly strengthened his grassroots appeal and positioned him as a politician with direct connection to ordinary citizens, emerging as the strongest opposition figure who is reshaping the Katsina’s political equation.

Lado’s name resonates strongly among youths, women and vulnerable groups who have benefitted from one intervention or another across communities in Katsina and outside the shores of the state.

Another critical element strengthening Lado’s influence is his ability to maintain political relationships across party lines. Despite being in opposition, he has continued to engage traditional leaders, youth groups, political stakeholders and community associations.

His supporters and critical stakeholders in the state also point to his calm political approach and issue-based engagements as part of the reasons behind his rising popularity. 

Rather than relying heavily on confrontational politics like his counterparts, Lado has focused more on community engagement, people-oriented interventions and strategic political consultations.

For the defectors and other politicians, the PDP under the leadership and influence of Lado appears to offer a fresh political platform and renewed relevance capable of wresting power from the APC in the forthcoming election.

Therefore, the increasing movement into the PDP is threatening the APC’s dominance and clearly signals an emerging shift in the state’s political dynamics. 

The PDP appears to be regaining visibility and rebuilding confidence among opposition supporters largely due to Lado’s enduring and expanding grassroots network.

Whether this growing momentum will translate into electoral victory for the PDP remains uncertain, but one reality is becoming increasingly clear: Lado is steadily positioning himself as one of the most influential opposition figures in Katsina State politics today.