By Ado Oyeyemi
A member of the Kano State House of Assembly representing Gwale Constituency, Abdulmajid Mai Rigar Fata, has defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Nigeria Democratic Congress following his failure to secure the party’s ticket for re-election.
The lawmaker was formally received on Thursday by former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, at his residence in Maitama, Abuja.
The development was disclosed by Kwankwaso’s media aide, Saifullahi Hassan, in a Facebook post announcing the defection.
According to Hassan, the lawmaker joined the NDC alongside former Vice Chairman of Gwale Local Government Area, Kabiru Sani Auwal Obi, and another political associate, Mahadi Isa Umar.
“His Excellency, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, welcomed Hon. Abdulmajid Isa Umar Mai Rigar Fata following his defection from the APC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress at his residence in Maitama, Abuja,” the statement read in part.
Mai Rigar Fata was first elected into the Assembly in 2023 under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party before later defecting to the APC alongside Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf.
Reports indicated that his latest defection came after he was unable to secure the APC ticket to retain his seat in the Assembly ahead of the next election cycle.
The political development followed a Federal High Court ruling delivered on Thursday, which reportedly cleared legal hurdles affecting politicians seeking to move to alternative political platforms.
Reacting to the judgment, the spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ruling could trigger a wave of defections from the ruling APC.
Abdullahi described the court’s decision as a victory for freedom of association, adding that it would encourage politicians dissatisfied with their current parties to explore other platforms.
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He further stated that the ADC expected more politicians to leave the APC in the coming days following the judgment.
