Ganduje’s son quits NDC, abandons Kwankwaso, joins father in APC

Abdulaziz Umar Ganduje, the first son of the former governor of Kano State and the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, is back in his ruling party after a short stay with the New Democratic Congress (NDC).

Abdulaziz was welcomed into the APC on Sunday at the ward level of the party in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State, where he was handed his membership card.

Leaders of the party as well as their supporters were present at the reception ceremony that marked Abdulaziz’s re-entry into the APC.

Abdulaziz had previously defected to the NDC and obtained the party’s nomination form to contest the Dawakin Tofa/Tofa/Rimin Gado Federal Constituency seat.

His defection was widely viewed as a political alignment with the Kwankwasiyya movement led by former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a longstanding political rival of his father.

However, his return to the APC came after the deadline for the purchase of nomination forms had elapsed, making the development largely symbolic rather than an immediate attempt to contest the 2027 election.

His return is nevertheless significant in the build-up to the 2027 general elections, particularly in Dawakin Tofa, where the Ganduje family maintains a strong political base.

The development also comes against the backdrop of the longstanding political rivalry between the Kwankwasiyya movement and the political structure associated with Ganduje in Kano.

While Abdulaziz’s earlier defection was seen as a boost to Kwankwaso’s camp, his return to the APC is expected to strengthen his father’s political structure ahead of the 2027 elections.