Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Sunday formally received the former Secretary to the Katsina State Government and ex-leader of the African Democratic Congress in the state, Mustapha Inuwa, back into the All Progressives Congress, in a political realignment that the ruling party hopes will consolidate its dominance in Katsina ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Inuwa, a former APC chairman in Katsina and one of the state’s most influential political figures, returned to the party after resigning from the ADC and directing his supporters to follow him back to the ruling party. His return comes amid months of political realignments in Katsina and follows disagreements over the ADC’s candidate-selection process ahead of the 2027 elections. Announcing his decision to return to the APC in August, Inuwa said it was made in the interest of his supporters and their political aspirations. “The decision was taken in the interest of advancing our political aspirations and protecting the interests of our supporters,” he said. He subsequently directed his supporters who had followed him to the ADC to withdraw from the party and return to the APC.
Inuwa’s political journey is one of the most consequential in Katsina’s recent history. He served as Commissioner for Education from 2003 to 2006 and later as Secretary to the State Government during the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He was also SSG during the administration of former Governor Aminu Bello Masari, serving from 2015 to 2022. In 2022, he resigned as SSG to contest the APC governorship primary and lost to Governor Dikko Umar Radda. He later left the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party, and by 2025, he had joined and emerged as one of the leading figures in the ADC. In 2026, he made a second attempt at the Katsina governorship, this time on the platform of the ADC, but rejected the process that produced Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita as the party’s governorship candidate. He maintained his position until August 9, 2026, when he officially announced his resignation from the ADC and his defection to the APC. His return to the ruling party therefore marks the completion of a political circle that saw him rise through the APC’s ranks, leave for the opposition, and now return to the fold.
Speaking at the reception ceremony in Katsina, Shettima expressed confidence that the APC would secure victory across the state in the 2027 elections. “We have seen that the state is rooted in the ruling APC, having seen things for myself. I am optimistic that we will win in all the seats in the state and the country as a whole,” Shettima said. He commended Governor Radda for his efforts to bring prominent political actors back into the APC fold. “Radda has been doing well in bringing these political actors, such as Dr Mustapha Inuwa and a host of others, to the fold. Indeed, APC is a household name in Katsina State,” he said. The Vice President’s remarks underscored the strategic importance the ruling party attaches to Katsina, the home state of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s predecessor and a key political battleground in the North-West.
The reception ceremony followed an August meeting involving Shettima, Radda and Inuwa in Abuja, where political developments in Katsina were reportedly discussed. That meeting signalled the beginning of a reconciliation process that has now culminated in Inuwa’s formal return. His defection from the ADC, alongside that of Lawal Musa Daura, a former Director-General of the Department of State Services, who joined the Allied Peoples Movement, represented a significant blow to the opposition coalition’s efforts to mount a united challenge to the APC in Katsina. Daura has since been linked to a possible running-mate role for Governor Seyi Makinde, the APM’s presidential candidate, further complicating the opposition’s calculations in the state.
Inuwa’s return is expected to further consolidate the APC’s political machinery in Katsina as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections. The APC has governed Katsina since 2015, and the state has consistently delivered strong support for the party in presidential elections. However, the defections and realignments of recent months had raised questions about the party’s internal cohesion and its ability to maintain its dominance. The return of a figure of Inuwa’s stature, with his extensive grassroots network and deep roots in the state’s political establishment, is intended to address those concerns. Political observers view his return as a strategic gain for the APC, particularly given his influence across the state’s 34 local government areas and his ability to mobilise support among key voting blocs.
The development also reflects the broader political dynamics at play ahead of the 2027 general elections, in which President Tinubu is seeking a second term on the APC platform while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the ADC, former Anambra Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the APM are among the major challengers. The ADC had positioned itself as a leading opposition platform, with Atiku as its presidential candidate and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate. The loss of Inuwa, one of its most prominent figures in Katsina, represents a setback to its efforts to build a strong national coalition. For the APC, the return of a former ally strengthens its narrative of momentum and unity as the election approaches.
The political stakes in Katsina are considerable. The state has a large voting population, and its support is critical to the outcome of the presidential election. Inuwa’s return to the APC is expected to help the party consolidate its support base, particularly in areas where he retains significant influence. Governor Radda, who has been actively working to reconcile aggrieved party members and bring defectors back into the fold, described the development as part of efforts to strengthen the party’s structure ahead of the elections. The APC in Katsina has consistently expressed confidence that it will deliver a decisive victory for President Tinubu and other party candidates, and Inuwa’s return provides a significant boost to that ambition.
For the people of Katsina, the political realignments unfolding ahead of the 2027 elections will shape the choices available to voters and determine how effectively their interests are represented at both the state and federal levels. For the APC, the return of Mustapha Inuwa is a strategic gain that strengthens its position in a key state. For the ADC, it is a loss that underscores the challenges of holding together a broad opposition coalition. As Shettima put it, Katsina is rooted in the ruling APC, and with Inuwa back in the fold, the party is optimistic that it will win in all the seats in the state and the country as a whole. The coming months will determine whether that confidence is borne out at the polls.
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