Kano NNPP Senator Sumaila Switches To APC

Senator Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South, has formally transitioned from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This transition was disclosed during a plenary session by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who read a letter from Sumaila stating that his departure from the NNPP was based on significant and undeniable issues within the party. Sumaila characterized the NNPP as being ‘deeply fragmented and ineffective.’ His defection increases the number of APC senators in the 10th National Assembly to 65, thereby enhancing the party’s majority in the Senate. As he was welcomed into the majority section of the Upper Chamber, there were enthusiastic cheers. Senator Sumaila explained that his decision to leave the NNPP was motivated by a desire to better serve the interests of his constituents, whom he regards as his foremost priority. Following this change, the Senate’s composition now includes 65 members from the APC, 33 from the Peoples Democratic Party, five from the Labour Party, two each from the NNPP and the Social Democratic Party, and one from the All Progressives Grand Alliance. In May 2022, Sumaila, a former House of Representatives member, had switched from the APC to the NNPP. On April 23, he confirmed his return to the ruling party through a Facebook post, stating, ‘Yes, it is true — the rumors regarding my defection are accurate. All politics is local, and my primary concern has always been, and remains, the welfare of my immediate constituency.’