Inuwa Returns to APC, Daura Joins APM as Katsina ADC Splits

Earlier this year, Mustapha Inuwa and Lawal Daura were key politicians trying to create a strong opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Katsina State.

By Sunday, that alliance fell apart.

Mr Inuwa, who was the first APC chairman in Katsina and a former secretary to the state government, announced that he and his supporters were going back to the ruling party.

On the other hand, Mr Daura, who was the former Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), chose to join the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

Both politicians left the African Democratic Congress (ADC) with similar complaints. They said the party did not provide a fair and democratic candidate-selection process.

But they have different views on where the political future of Katsina lies.

Mr Inuwa believes that even with insecurity and economic issues, going back to the APC is the best option for his supporters.

Mr Daura thinks the APC is not doing well and sees the APM as a better place for his political goals.

Both men pointed to the same problems with the ADC. Yet Mr Inuwa has returned to the APC he helped build, while Mr Daura chose a smaller opposition party after criticizing both the ADC and APC.

An Opposition Coalition Breaks Apart

At the start of the year, the political movement around the ADC included many prominent politicians against Governor Dikko Radda’s administration and the APC.

This group included Mr Inuwa, Mr Daura, former senators, and others with influence across Katsina’s 34 local government areas.

In January, PREMIUM TIMES reported that this gathering of political heavyweights was becoming a strong opposition force ahead of the 2027 elections.

Mr Inuwa had a long political journey. He was the first APC chairman in Katsina and served as secretary to the state government for seven years under former Governor Aminu Masari.

His relationship with the APC soured after he lost the 2022 governorship primary to Mr Radda. He then moved to the opposition, first joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and later trying to form a new political group in Katsina.

Speaking to supporters in Katsina on Sunday, Mr Inuwa shared how his group initially considered the Social Democratic Party before opting for the ADC.

He said they opened offices, gathered supporters, and financed activities themselves, hoping the ADC would offer a fair political process.

That hope, he said, fell apart.

The dispute was mainly about who controlled the party structures and how candidates were chosen. There were claims that proper primaries or consensus arrangements were not made.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported two levels of crisis within the Katsina ADC: rival factions fighting for legitimacy and internal disagreements in the Muhammad Rimi-led camp about candidate selection.

This camp included Mr Inuwa, Mr Daura, and former Senator Ahmad Kaita.

Same Complaint, Different Paths

In his speech on Sunday, Mr Inuwa talked about injustice in candidate selection.

He said members joined and helped build the ADC expecting a different way of doing things than the political systems they criticized.

According to him, that expectation was not met.

Mr Inuwa claimed there were no proper primaries or valid consensus processes for many elective positions.

He said 154 people wanted State House of Assembly tickets but many were not given a fair chance to compete.

He also mentioned a senatorial race where five candidates were ignored, and someone who did not participate was chosen instead.

These are Mr Inuwa's claims against his former party.

He said he and his supporters called for changes since May 27, but nothing was done. He also mentioned that a senior figure in the movement promised to meet him five times to discuss the issue, but none of those meetings happened. He did not reveal the official's name.

Mr Daura's view of the crisis is quite similar.

In an interview with DCL Hausa, monitored by PREMIUM TIMES, he likened the ADC to a vehicle that looked good but had a faulty engine.

Mr Daura said there was a lack of fairness and weak leadership.

"Wherever you go, if justice is promised but leadership is weak, that place is not good to stay in," he stated.

His criticism was not new. In June, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Daura rejected the candidate-selection process and called for proper primaries or a legitimate consensus.

He had mentioned that political realignment was among the options if the dispute was not resolved.

Now that realignment has taken place.

Inuwa Aims to Fix APC

Mr Inuwa and Mr Daura have different ideas on what to do next.

Mr Inuwa did not return to the APC claiming that the party has solved Katsina’s problems.

Instead, he acknowledged the economic struggles, insecurity, and public dissatisfaction within the APC.

But he believes that, among the options, the APC is still the most viable.

"We know there are challenges in this country," he said. "There are hardships, security issues, and other problems."

But he also said there is still time for the government to listen and start fixing these issues.

His return is politically significant.

Mr Inuwa once led the APC in Katsina and ran for the party’s 2022 governorship primary against Mr Radda.

Mr Radda won by 506 votes to 442, a difference of 64 delegates.

Initially, Mr Inuwa said he would stay with the APC after that primary, but their relationship later soured. He left the party, supported the opposition, and tried forming a new coalition.

Now he is back with the party led by the man who defeated him.

Mr Inuwa also explained how he wants his political group to be part of the APC.

He suggested that each local government should make a list of key people from his group, and APC leaders should work with them for representation and cooperation.

He urged existing party members and those returning with him to respect each other and avoid fighting for positions.

Mr Inuwa also mentioned that his early talks with Governor Radda included a promise that the governor would listen to advice.

Using a military analogy, he warned that division among political leaders could weaken the ruling party, saying even a strong commander cannot win a war with a divided army.

In the report about his defection, PREMIUM TIMES noted that Mr Inuwa did not say if any specific political deals or positions had been agreed with Mr Radda.

He also said his return has a test.

Mr Inuwa called on Governor Radda and APC leaders to use the next "two or three months" to tackle complaints about insecurity and economic issues.

He argued that clear improvements would help them convince voters to support the APC.

These comments are important because they show that joining the ruling party does not erase the problems that pushed him to oppose it.

Daura Chooses Another Path

Mr Daura has turned down the path Mr Inuwa chose.

In his DCL Hausa interview, he was asked if the APC could be seen as healthy politically.

He replied with another metaphor, saying the party is "limping" and its arm is in a sling while its hearing is impaired.

He described the APM as the best political option for him.

Mr Inuwa, while discussing options for his group, mockingly called another party the "cassava party," likely referring to the APM where Mr Daura has now gone.

This shows how their disagreement has moved from just the ADC's candidate-selection process to a larger debate over which party can effectively seek power in 2027.

Mr Daura's exact role in the APM is still unclear.

When asked if he joined because he was offered a certain ticket, he denied asking for or receiving one.

When asked what role he will play, he asked the interviewer to wait until the end of the week for updates.

The former intelligence chief had previously said he wants to run for governor. His latest comments leave open whether he will pursue that goal under the APM or take on another role in the party.

What Happens to the ADC?

Mr Inuwa claimed that the departures have left the ADC with barely its name in Katsina.

"The ADC is not just unconscious, but dead," he said.

That is his opinion, not a confirmed fact.

The ADC still has politicians and competing factions in the state, so it is too early to see the full impact of the departures.

Mr Kaita’s role will be especially crucial because Messrs Inuwa and Daura disputed how he came out of the Rimi-led camp.

It is not yet clear if their exits will strengthen his control over the remaining group or take away important political support.

The opposing faction led by Musa Wamba, which selected Salisu Uli as its governorship candidate, remains significant.

In an earlier interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Uli defended his camp's process, saying they followed the recognized party structure and INEC officials oversaw their primaries.

He also mentioned that efforts to reconcile the rival factions failed despite talks about sharing power.

The latest departures raise questions about how many of the ward and local government structures from the Rimi-led group will follow Mr Inuwa to the APC, how many will go with Mr Daura to the APM, and how many will stay with the ADC.

The response from the national leadership will also matter.

In June, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi told PREMIUM TIMES that the party's primary process had issues but defended its overall fairness.

What the Split Means for 2027

Mr Inuwa’s return could strengthen Mr Radda’s coalition by bringing back a politician who had significant support within the APC four years ago.

The 2022 governorship primary, where Mr Radda beat him by only 64 delegate votes, showed Mr Inuwa’s influence back then.

How much of that structure remains intact now, and how much he can bring into Mr Radda’s team, will be clearer as the realignment happens across the local governments.

This does not automatically mean an APC win in 2027.

The political outcome will depend on how many supporters follow Mr Inuwa, how the APC handles the interests of old and returning members, and if the Radda government can address the security and economic problems Mr Inuwa mentioned.

Mr Daura’s move to the APM shows that politicians leaving the ADC are not just going to the ruling party.

Instead, Katsina’s opposition seems to be splitting into several competing groups.

The ADC, APM, PDP, and any new parties from further realignments could divide opposition support among different parties.

This split could benefit the APC if opposition votes are divided.

But much will depend on the candidates that are eventually chosen, how well the different parties build strong structures across Katsina’s 34 local government areas, and how voters view the Radda administration before the election.

For now, the opposition group that brought Messrs Inuwa and Daura together earlier this year has failed to stay united.

They left the ADC on the same day but are now heading in different political directions.

For Katsina’s 2027 elections, the breakdown of their shared political platform might be just as important as the paths they have chosen.