Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano, will defect from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) next week, the Kwankwasiyya movement has informed TheCable.
Habibu Mohammed, spokesperson of the Kwankwasiyya movement, stated that the decision was sealed after a unanimous endorsement by stakeholders.
Mohammed said discussions with the NDC have reached “about 90 percent”, with only minor issues left to tidy up, adding that the former governor and Peter Obi, 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), will officially move to the NDC on Monday or Tuesday.
“I believe him, Peter Obi, and some others will be joining the NDC,” Mohammed said.
Mohammed said stakeholders’ representatives from all 44 LGAs in Kano gathered at Kwankwaso’s residence on Friday around 3:30pm to weigh the options and, in the end, spoke with one voice.
“The stakeholders have unanimously given him the go-ahead to move to the NDC,” he said. Kwankwaso, he added, is currently in Kano and is expected back in Abuja by Sunday ahead of the planned defection.
At the heart of the decision is the lingering ADC leadership imbroglio.
On Thursday, the supreme court set aside the controversial status quo ante bellum order in the ADC leadership dispute and returned the matter to the federal high court for determination effectively resetting the contest without resolving it.
Mohammed said the apex court’s ruling only reinforced concerns about uncertainty within the party.
“If you look at the case referred back to the lower court, it might take time. There could even be another appeal to the supreme court. It does not look feasible to stay there,” Mohammed said.
“The entire caucus voted unanimously that a better platform, not embedded in a leadership tussle, should be used.”
He said while both the NDC and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) were considered, stakeholders ultimately threw their weight behind the NDC.
Mohammed said there are three pending cases against the ADC at the federal high court, describing the legal landscape as too murky for comfort.
“Staying in ADC at this stage would amount to waiting for Godot,” he said.
