The Senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District, Senator Rufai Sani Hanga, has commenced consultations with political allies, stakeholders and leaders of his district amid speculation over his possible defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
This comes as Senator Hanga was said to have convened a meeting with his constituency coordinators drawn from the 15 local government areas that make up Kano Central.
In a statement posted on Hanga’s official social media page, the meeting focused on “key political issues” and the current realities within his political camp.
It was also reported that the embattled senator, who appears to have parted ways with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), briefed the coordinators on recent political developments affecting his political structure.
The statement said Hanga specifically requested the opinion of the grassroots leaders on his political future, “particularly regarding the possibility of moving to another political party,” as part of wider consultations before reaching a final decision.
“The meeting forms part of the senator’s continuous engagement with critical stakeholders in his political family ahead of any major decision concerning his political future,” the statement added.
However, Hanga did not disclose the political party he may be considering in the statement.
The senator, who was elected to the Red Chamber on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), reportedly defected briefly to the ADC before later joining the NDC.
However, the State Chairman of the NNPP and a diehard Kwankwaso supporter, Alhaji Hashimu Dungurawa, was recently quoted as saying that Senator Hanga was planning to part ways with the Kwankwasiyya movement.
“Senator Hanga told me himself that never in his life will he drop his loyalty to Kwankwaso and shun the Kwankwasiyya movement. This he personally confirmed to me”, Dungurawa insisted.
The growing rift between Senator Hanga and the Kwankwasiyya leadership reached a breaking point following the recent primary elections of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
The outcome of the election left the Kano Central lawmaker marginalized from key elective positions.
Hanga had initially been considered for the deputy governorship slot alongside the party’s flagbearer.
However, the political dynamics shifted dramatically when the internal machinery favored alternative candidates, excluding his name from the final list of consensus flagbearers across major elective seats.
Insiders reveal that the breaking point occurred when the party structure endorsed Mustapha Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as the governorship running mate while positioning former Deputy Governor Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna for the Kano Central Senatorial ticket currently occupied by Hanga.
The sudden arrangement alienated the lawmaker from his political base within the Kwankwasiyya fold, despite his past fierce opposition to external political defections in the state.
Senator Hanga latest meeting with constituency leaders came on the heels of similar meetings with Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the National Chairman of the APC, Yilwatda.
Recall, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, earlier this month personally paid a courtesy visit to Senator Hanga at his residence.
Speaking on the significance of the engagement, Professor Yilwatda clarified the motives behind reaching out to Kwankwaso’s estranged ally.
The APC National Chairman emphasized that the visit was meant to promote peace and sustainable development across the state.
Yilwatda pointed out that political differences should not hinder strategic national unity, noting, “Our intention is to foster tranquility, administrative harmony, and genuine development for the good people of Kano State.”
Simultaneously, Senator Hanga held private meeting with the state Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf.
