By Suleiman Anyalewechi
A serving Lawmaker representing Governor Abba Yusuf’s Gwale State Constituency of Kano State, Hon Abdulmajid Isa Umar Mai Rigar Fata, has defected to the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC.
The development comes just hours after an Abuja Federal High Court’s judgment nullifying Independent National Electoral Commission INEC’s timeframe for political parties to submit their digital membership registers and names of candidates for the 2027 polls.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in his ruling on a motion on notice filed by the Youth Party of Nigeria, a Certified True Copy, CTC, of which was made available on Thursday, May 21, 2026, held that the election timetable imposed by the INEC is inconsistent with both the 2026 Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
According to him, the timeframe rolled out by the INEC for political parties to conduct their primaries, submit, withdraw, and replace names and particulars of their candidates for the 2027 general elections in violation of the Electoral Act 2026.
Hon Mai Rigar Fata, who was received on Thursday by the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso at his Maitama District Abuja residence, was originally elected on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, in 2023.
However, in the wake of the alignment that hit Kano political landscape a couple months ago, Mai Rigar Fata, alongside majority members of Kano State House of Assembly, defected to the All Progressive Congress, APC, in deference to the political preferences of Governor Yusuf.
Senator Kwankwaso, while receiving the defecting Kano legislator, together with other high-profile political actors from the Gwale Local Council, including a former Vice Chairman, Hon Kabiru Sani Auwal Obi, described their decision as timely, thoughtful and a significant boost to the grassroots strength of the NDC.
Instructively, Hon Mai Rigar Fata’s defection came barely a day after failing to secure an APC return ticket to the state House of Assembly.
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