Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The African Democratic Congress in Katsina State has been plunged into its most severe crisis yet following the dramatic defection of two of its most prominent governorship aspirants, a move that has sent shockwaves through the state's political landscape and raised serious questions about the party's viability ahead of the 2027 general elections. Former Katsina State Secretary to the Government, Dr Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa, and former Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Musa Daura, announced their exits from the party separately on Sunday, August 9, 2026, dealing a devastating blow to an opposition already struggling to find its footing. While Inuwa returned to the ruling All Progressives Congress alongside thousands of his supporters, Daura pitched his tent with the Allied Peoples Movement, signalling a major realignment that could reshape the state's political dynamics.
The defections were the culmination of months of internal turmoil within the Katsina ADC, triggered by a bitterly contested governorship primary that produced Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita as the party's standard-bearer. Both Inuwa and Daura had challenged the outcome of the process, insisting that the party had failed to conduct a transparent and democratic candidate selection exercise. Their grievances, however, fell on deaf ears, and the party leadership pressed ahead with Kaita's candidacy, setting the stage for the eventual collapse of the party's fragile coalition of opposition figures.
Inuwa, a veteran politician with decades of experience in Katsina's governance, was the first to announce his resignation. His political pedigree is formidable: he served as Commissioner for Education between 2003 and 2006 before becoming SSG during the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. He later returned to the same position under former Governor Aminu Bello Masari, serving from 2015 to 2022. In 2022, Inuwa resigned as SSG to contest the APC governorship primary, where he lost to the current Governor, Mallam Dikko Umar Radda, by a narrow margin of 506 votes to 442. Following that defeat, he left the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party in October 2022, alongside his supporters, and later emerged as a major PDP figure, serving as Director-General of the Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign organisation in Katsina during the 2023 general elections. By 2025, Inuwa had joined the ADC and built a substantial political structure around his supporters, making a second attempt at the governorship in 2026. However, after rejecting the ADC primary that produced Kaita, he maintained his opposition to the process until Sunday, when he formally resigned and announced his return to the APC. Addressing his supporters in Katsina, Inuwa said the decision was taken in the interest of advancing their political aspirations and protecting the interests of his followers. His defection, accompanied by thousands of supporters, has been described by political stakeholders as a potential boost to the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
Lawal Daura, a former Director-General of the DSS and another heavyweight aspirant, also resigned from the ADC on Sunday and announced his move to the APM in Daura Local Government Area. Daura had similarly contested the ADC's 2026 governorship ticket but lost to Senator Kaita. He became one of the prominent figures challenging the outcome of the party's candidate-selection process, insisting on a more transparent and democratic approach. Speaking at an event in Katsina, Daura said his silence during the ADC crisis was deliberate and part of his preparation for a better political option. He urged his supporters to remain patient, promising further developments from their new political platform. "I joined politics not to achieve personal ambition, but because of my concern for Nigeria and its people," Daura declared. Sources within the party hierarchy have indicated that Daura may be considered as the running mate to Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, who is reportedly being positioned as the APM's presidential candidate. The Katsina State Chairman of the APM, Nura Abdullahi, welcomed Daura and his supporters into the party, assuring them of fair treatment and noting that the party had established structures across the state's 361 wards and 6,562 polling units.
The twin defections are the latest in a series of blows to the ADC in Katsina, which has been grappling with internal crises since its governorship primary. Earlier in June 2026, no fewer than 34 House of Assembly aspirants defected from the ADC to the PDP, citing injustice and poor leadership. The party's inability to manage its internal disputes has raised serious questions about its capacity to provide a credible alternative to the ruling APC in Katsina. The defections of Inuwa and Daura, two of the party's most prominent figures, have effectively gutted the ADC's leadership structure and left it with a depleted base of support.
For the APC, Inuwa's return represents a significant gain. His political experience, grassroots connections, and the thousands of supporters accompanying him could strengthen the party's position in Katsina ahead of the 2027 elections. For the APM, Daura's defection offers an opportunity to expand its presence in the North-West, particularly if he emerges as a vice-presidential candidate. For the ADC, however, the departures are a devastating setback that may prove impossible to overcome. With two of its most credible candidates now gone, the party faces an uphill battle to remain relevant in a state where opposition politics is already fragmented and struggling. The clock is ticking towards 2027, and for the ADC in Katsina, the road ahead has never looked more uncertain.
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