A former Governor of Kano State and senator representing Kano Central District, Ibrahim Shekarau, on Wednesday, dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mr Shekarau, one of the founding members of APC, has moved to the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) alongside thousands of his supporters.
The former governor announced his defecting at his Bompai GRA residence in Kano on Wednesday.
Mr Shekarau, alongside another former governor of the state, Rabiu Kwankwaso, were seen signing a register. He later obtained the membership registration card of the NNPP, amidst loud cheers from thousands of supporters.
His defection followed weeks of lobbying from both the APC and PDP, wooing Mr Shekarau into their party.
Mr Shekarau had, in 2014, defected from the APC to the People Democratic Party (PDP). In that year, he protested against the APC for giving the party’s structures in Kano to Mr Kwankwaso, who was the governor at the time, following the latter’s decamping to the APC from the PDP.
Again, in the buildup to the 2019 election, Mr Shekarau rejoined the APC in 2018 after the National Working Committee of the PDP dissolved the Kano State Executive Committee of the party and constituted a caretaker committee allegedly to favour same Mr Kwankwaso, who returned to the PDP.
Messrs Kwankwaso and Shekarau used to be sworn political adversaries and had never formed an alliance before now.