According to a report by Channels Television on Monday, March 30, 2026, a notable change in Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections was the formal joining of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the former governor of Kano State. He received his membership card on Monday in Kano.
After announcing his departure from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Sunday, Kwankwaso joined the ADC. He said that he had to leave the NNPP because he needed to connect with a platform that better represented his goals and aspirations in light of the shifting political landscape.
Leading up to the formal induction, prominent ADC figures paid a state visit to Kano. Accompanying Kwankwaso in his defection-related delegation were party heavyweights David Mark (former Senate President and current National Chairman), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (ex-Sokoto State Governor), Rotimi Amaechi (ex-Minister of Transportation), Senator Dino Melaye (current Senate President and former APC National Chairman) and John Odigie-Oyegun (former APC National Chairman).
As a sign of the cordial reception and high-level coordination that preceded the event, the party leaders were greeted at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport by Aminu Gwarzo, the immediate former Deputy Governor of Kano State.
A number of important friends are likely to defect to the ADC as a result of Kwankwaso’s betrayal. His possible successors are Hashim Dungurawa, the former chairman of the Kano State NNPP, and Senator Rufa’i Hanga.
Some in the political sphere see this change as a precursor to a larger realignment in Kano politics that may impact party strategy leading up to the 2027 elections.
In his statement announcing his affiliation with the ADC, Kwankwaso emphasised the importance of a fresh political strategy that speaks to his followers and takes into account the changing hopes and dreams of the people. ”
We are living through a time of fast political transformation, and I am confident that the ADC offers a strong foundation from which to advance our common objectives of development, good leadership, and the well-being of Nigerians,” he declared.
