Ekunkonye Junior
Abuja
Former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shakarau and former Senate Chief Whip Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo were welcomed into the All Progressives Congress (APC), just as he described their entry as a major gain for the ruling party, according to a press statement issued by the Deputy Senate President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir within the week.
The two politicians have recently abandoned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State, for the ruling APC, citing persistent internal leadership crises within the opposition party.
Senator Barau described Shekarau and Gwarzo as “true progressives” who belong in the APC, which he called the largest political party in Africa. “Progressive politicians will always align with a progressive political party, APC,” Barau said. He noted that their decision would significantly boost the party’s strength and prospects ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Deputy Senate President, who also serves as First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, expressed confidence that sustained grassroots support in Kano State positions the APC to secure victories in the presidential, governorship, and parliamentary polls in 2027. He said the defections demonstrate growing trust in the party’s structure and leadership.
Barau further linked the wave of defections from opposition parties to rising confidence in the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kano State Governor Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf. He argued that the movement of prominent figures into the APC reflects public approval of current governance at both federal and state levels.
The statement concluded by reaffirming the APC’s readiness to consolidate its base in Kano and across the country as political alignments shift ahead of the next electoral cycle.
