…while Opposition Is Rocked by Defections
Written by Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo
Following a wave of opposition party defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that Governor Uba Sani’s leadership is gradually turning Kaduna State into a one-party state.
Shettima made the comment at the weekend during the launching of the Tudun Biri Resettlement Scheme, when he congratulated the governor for what he termed as intentional, inclusive and strategic efforts to broaden the APC’s political base across the state.
“Governor Uba Sani, we are most grateful. The Vice President stated, “With members of the House of Representatives representing Soba, Makarfi, and Kudan on their way to the APC, you are gradually turning Kaduna into a one-party state.”
Recalling the outcome of the 2023 general elections, Shettima remarked that the APC had suffered huge setbacks in Kaduna before the new wave of political realignments.
“The PDP won all three of our Senate seats in 2023. The APC only had four of the National Assembly’s sixteen members. “The Labour Party had two, and the PDP had ten,” he said.
He claims that since then, a number of well-known opposition personalities have defected as a result of what he called the “conscious and deliberate efforts” of Governor Sani and party leaders.
“We have in our midst former Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero. We have Senator Sunday Marshal,” Shettima said.
The Vice President described happenings in Southern Kaduna as exceptional, saying that the zone had continuously elected senators on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999.
“Because of Governor Uba Sani’s unwavering efforts, the APC has a senator in Southern Kaduna for the first time in living memory,” he continued.
Shettima also revealed the defection of a current member of the House of Representatives from Igabi Federal Constituency, one of the biggest in the nation with over 400,000 registered voters and over 600 voting places.
He claimed that the governor’s leadership style, which had fostered trust across political, ethnic, and regional differences, was the reason for the increasing number of defections.
“This is leadership. Without your inclusive approach, I don’t think Sunday Marshal and other leaders in Southern Kaduna would have joined the APC,” he said.
The Vice President additionally congratulated the Kaduna State Government for its engagement with the Federal Government on the Tudun Biri Resettlement Scheme, characterizing it as a clear indication of responsive and people-centred governance.
Following the community’s unintentional bombardment in December 2023, Governor Uba Sani praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving Tudun Biri as the first recipient of the Resettlement Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflicts.
He said the project reinforced the view that enduring peace could only be reached via development, inclusivity and economic opportunity, complementing security initiatives.
