ADC national leadership takes over Gawuna defection talks

Fresh details have emerged on the political moves of the Kano Central senatorial candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Dr Nasiru Gawuna, as ongoing negotiations over his possible defection to the African Democratic Congress have reportedly shifted from the state chapter of the party to its national leadership.

Credible sources familiar with the development told The PidomNigeria on Tuesday that the former deputy governor had temporarily halted discussions with the state leadership of the ADC and moved the talks to the party’s national level as consultations over the terms of his entry continue.

The latest development comes weeks after The PidomNigeria exclusively reported that Gawuna was set to dump the NDC for the ADC following advanced negotiations with the Kano State leadership of the opposition party.

A source close to the ongoing discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, confirmed that negotiations were still alive but had gone beyond the state chapter.

“Talks have not broken down. What has happened is that the discussions have moved beyond the Kano State chapter to the national level of the party.

“There are still ongoing negotiations regarding his possible defection to the ADC, but the matter is now being handled at the national level because of the issues involved and the calibre of people participating in the discussions,” the source said.

He, however, declined to disclose the specific terms being discussed, saying the consultations were sensitive and had not been concluded.

“What I can tell you is that the consultations are still ongoing. It is not something that has been abandoned. The issue is now beyond the state structure because it involves broader political interests and alignments ahead of 2027,” he added.

Another source familiar with the talks said the decision to escalate the discussions to the national level may not be unconnected with the demands reportedly tabled by Gawuna’s camp during the initial engagement with the Kano State leadership of the ADC.

According to the source, Gawuna’s camp had sought the ADC governorship ticket for the 2027 election and also requested political accommodation for some of his loyalists seeking state Assembly and National Assembly tickets.

“The discussions at the state level raised a number of issues, including the governorship ticket and accommodation for some of his political associates. Because of the weight of those requests, the matter has now gone to the national level for further consideration,” the source said.

“It is a delicate negotiation because there are already stakeholders and aspirants in the party, so whatever decision is taken has to be managed carefully.”

The Kano State Chairman of the ADC, Musa Ungogo, also confirmed the development to The PidomNigeria on Wednesday but declined to provide details.

The talks have been shifted to the national level. We just have to wait for the final decision. It’s either he defects or remains in NDC,” he stated.

Gawuna, a former All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Kano, resigned from the party in March and also stepped down as chairman of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.

He subsequently aligned with the Kwankwasiyya-backed bloc that moved through the ADC before eventually joining the NDC in May alongside former Kano State Governor, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, and a large number of supporters.

Upon joining the NDC, Gawuna accepted the party’s Kano Central senatorial ticket, while the party settled for the immediate past deputy governor of Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo, as its consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 election.

His latest talks with the ADC have, however, fuelled fresh speculation over his political future and raised questions about the durability of the new alliances being forged ahead of the next general elections.