Senator Rufai Sani Hanga has dismissed speculation that he is set to leave the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that he remains committed to his party despite recent reports linking him with the APC.
The former lawmaker made the clarification while speaking on a local radio programme in Kano on Tuesday, following speculation that he had concluded plans to defect after reportedly holding meetings with senior APC figures, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
"I still remain a member of the NDC and I have not made any plans to decamp," Hanga said.
Despite reaffirming his loyalty to the NDC, Hanga expressed doubts about the party's chances of winning the 2027 presidential election, arguing that it currently lacks the national support needed to unseat the ruling APC.
"The NDC will not win the presidency because it cannot make any significant impact nationally. However, I am confident the party will win Kano State. As for me, I remain a member of my party," he stated.
Speaking on his relationship with the party's national leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Hanga said they continue to maintain mutual respect despite political differences.
He also shed light on the emergence of the NDC's governorship ticket in Kano, alleging that Kwankwaso had initially considered nominating his son, Mustapha Kwankwaso, for the governorship.
According to Hanga, the party's chairman, Hussaini Isa Mairiga, informed him that Kwankwaso was contemplating the move.
"Kwankwaso sent an emissary to me through the NDC Chairman, Hussaini Isa Mairiga, to inform me that he was considering presenting his son, Mustapha, as the party's governorship candidate," Hanga said.
He added that he conveyed his willingness to support the arrangement, saying he was prepared to serve as Mustapha Kwankwaso's campaign manager.
"I wished them well and asked Mairiga to tell Kwankwaso that I was ready to be his son's campaign manager. After that, I did not hear anything further," he said.
Hanga further disclosed that a few days later, the NDC governorship candidate, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, met him in Abuja and informed him that Kwankwaso had selected him as the party's governorship candidate while offering Hanga the deputy governorship position.
Although he considered the offer a political demotion, Hanga said he accepted it. "Even though I regarded it as a demotion, I accepted. However, I later heard that Kwankwaso had chosen his son, Mustapha, as the running mate instead," he alleged.
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