Gawuna's Defection Talks Now with ADC National Leaders

Fresh information has come out about the political moves of Dr Nasiru Gawuna, the Kano Central senatorial candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress. The talks about his possible switch to the African Democratic Congress have now been taken from the state level to the national leadership of the party.

Reliable sources close to the situation told The PUNCH on Tuesday that Gawuna has paused discussions with the ADC's state leadership. He has moved the talks to the national level while consultations about the terms of his entry continue.

This new development follows weeks after The PUNCH reported that Gawuna was likely to leave the NDC for the ADC after advanced talks with the party's Kano State leadership.

A source familiar with the ongoing discussions, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed that the talks are still ongoing but are now at the national level.

"Talks have not broken down. What has happened is that the discussions have moved beyond the Kano State chapter to the national level of the party.

“There are still ongoing negotiations regarding his possible defection to the ADC, but the matter is now being handled at the national level because of the issues involved and the calibre of people participating in the discussions," the source said.

However, he did not share the specific terms being discussed, noting that the consultations are sensitive and not yet complete.

"What I can tell you is that the consultations are still ongoing. It is not something that has been abandoned. The issue is now beyond the state structure because it involves broader political interests and alignments ahead of 2027," he added.

Another source familiar with the talks mentioned that moving discussions to the national level may be linked to the demands made by Gawuna’s camp during initial talks with the Kano State ADC leadership.

According to this source, Gawuna’s camp asked for the ADC governorship ticket for the 2027 election and also requested political support for some of his loyalists seeking state Assembly and National Assembly tickets.

"The discussions at the state level raised a number of issues, including the governorship ticket and accommodation for some of his political associates. Because of the weight of those requests, the matter has now gone to the national level for further consideration," the source said.

"It is a delicate negotiation because there are already stakeholders and aspirants in the party, so whatever decision is taken has to be managed carefully."

Musa Ungogo, the Kano State Chairman of the ADC, also confirmed this development to The PUNCH on Wednesday but did not give further details.

"The talks have been shifted to the national level. We just have to wait for the final decision. It’s either he defects or remains in NDC," he stated.

Gawuna, a former governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress in Kano, left that party in March. He also stepped down as chairman of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.

Later, he aligned with the Kwankwasiyya bloc that moved through the ADC before joining the NDC in May with former Kano State Governor, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, and many supporters.

After joining the NDC, Gawuna accepted the party’s Kano Central senatorial ticket. The party chose the former deputy governor of Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo, as its consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 election.

His latest talks with the ADC have sparked new speculation about his political future and raised questions about the strength of the new alliances being formed ahead of the next general elections.