By Suleiman Anyalewechi
An All Progressive Congress, APC, support group, the Emerging Progressive Leaders Forum, EPLF, has blamed the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, for the spate of high profile defections hitting the party in Kano State.
Specifically, the political pressure group attributed the exit of the crowd-pulling ,and grassroots-oriented APC gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 general elections in the State, Dr Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, to the untold frustration he suffered at the hands of the Senator representing Kano North Senatorial District.
The source reports that Gawuna,who served as the Kano state Deputy Governor between 2015 and 2023 , penultimate week signed on for the African Democratic Congress after a last ditched effort, including a Ministerial offer by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to dissuade him .
His resignation from the APC was preceded by his voluntary exit as the Chairman of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria FMBN.
In a statement issued on Thursday April 9, 2026, by its National Coordinator, Hafiz Idris, the EPLF accused the Deputy Senate President of frustrating all efforts to secure a Ministerial slot for Gawuna after losing the Governorship battle to the NNPP, Abba Kabiru Yusuf.
The group alleged that the same Senator Barau is presently trying to instigate another wave of avoidable defection spree with his opposition to the planned appointment of the party’s gubernatorial running mate in the 2023 election, Murtala Sule Garo as a replacement for the vacant position of the State’s Deputy Governor.
According to the APC support group, Governor Yusuf, after consultations has decided to appoint Garo to the position, but the move it alleged is being frustrated by the Deputy Senate President.
The group expressed regret that Senator Barau’s opposition is still coming despite many years of loyal service rendered to him by Garo, including serving as his campaign Director -General in 2015 and 2019.
Similarly, the APC group recalled how Garo, who is from the same Kano North Senatorial District, firmly stood by the Deputy Senate President during his most turbulent political period in 2015 .
The body claimed that Senator Barau is so deeply uncomfortable with the prospect of Garo being appointed as the Deputy Governor that is exploring all possible means to prevent it.
The EPLF alleged that the Deputy Senate President, who is widely perceived to be nursing gubernatorial ambition, does not feel comfortable having someone from his area as the new Deputy Governor based on political permutations.
.
However, the group noted that Governor Yusuf, apart from concluding plans to nominate Garo, owing to his grassroots appeal has equally narrowed down the position to Kano North Senatorial District.
The group, therefore, warned that nothing should be done to create an atmosphere likely to further deplete the ranks of the APC in Kano State.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
