Former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai’s staunch ally and ex-Chief of Staff, Bashir Sa’idu, has defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), promising to mobilise thousands of his supporters for Governor Uba Sani ahead of the 2027 elections.
Mr Sa’idu, who also served as Commissioner for Finance under Mr El-Rufai, made the pledge when the governor’s Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs, Isa Lawal, visited him at his residence on Wednesday.
He said his return to the APC was not an individual move, adding that he had brought along a large network of supporters who would demonstrate their political strength during the elections.
Mr Sa’idu specifically promised to deliver the 11 local government areas that make up the Zazzau Emirate to the APC.
“I will not boast about my capacity in other areas, but in the 11 local governments of Zazzau Emirate, we will show our strength, and no one has the kind of followers that we have,” he said.
He also said the APC would secure more votes in Zaria Local Government Area than the votes recorded for former President Muhammadu Buhari in previous elections.
WE DID NOT LEAVE ADC ALONE
Mr Sa’idu said his defection was intended to prove wrong those who believed he left the ADC alone.
He cited Lere Local Government Area, where he claimed about 3,091 ADC card-carrying members joined the APC. He further claimed that there were groups of about 4,000 supporters in some other local government areas.
The former Chief of Staff said he moved to the APC with about 10,000 supporters, describing them as people who had demonstrated political loyalty to his camp.
“We will prove that Allah has endowed us with supporters, and these people believe in us politically. We have been meeting and fashioning out modalities of how we will win elections,” he said.
He added that his political network extended beyond Zaria to Igabi and Kaduna South local government areas.
Mr Sa’idu, however, acknowledged that his mobilisation would not prevent the state government from conducting its own political planning.
He said his group could either work alongside the government’s political structure or operate independently and meet at the polls.
