Gawuna Stays with NDC Amid APC Defections Ahead of 2027

Nasir Gawuna, the former Deputy Governor, has decided to stay with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 general elections, despite many of his political allies returning to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Badaru Umar, a former chairman of Ungogo Local Government and a key supporter of Gawuna, confirmed this during an interview on Lumana Radio.

The group, which included Gawuna's younger brother Mansur, NDC state deputy chairman Ali Datti-Yako, and other senior allies, had a consultation meeting with Governor Abba Yusuf and Deputy Governor Murtala Garo on September 1, 2026, and formally rejoined the NDC on September 5, 2026. Gawuna's previous departure from the APC followed his defeat in the 2023 governorship election, where he received 890,705 votes, losing to Governor Yusuf, who garnered 1,019,602 votes.

Gawuna felt marginalized in the APC and aligned with former Kano Governor Rabiu before moving to the ADC and then to the NDC. Despite being offered a senatorial ticket for Kano Central District, some of Gawuna's loyalists remain dissatisfied, believing he was shortchanged.