Almustapha Saulawa, former Protocol Officer to ex-Governor Aminu Masari, has defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Katsina State.
Saulawa announced his defection on Tuesday at the ADC Secretariat in Katsina, where he formally registered as a party member alongside a large number of supporters, many of them youths.
He said his physical presence at the party secretariat was necessary to legitimise his political activities within the ADC.
“I’m here to declare myself as a tentative member of ADC, as it is enshrined in the law that I cannot act until I belong. That is why I’m here to become a member of ADC today together with my supporters, which of course are the teeming youth of Katsina,” he said.
Saulawa, a founding member of the APC, cited principle and a desire to “rescue” Katsina State as reasons for his move.
While projecting confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections, he claimed the ADC had emerged as a serious threat to the ruling party.
He further alleged that the APC had been reduced to two categories of members.
“I was part and parcel of the ruling APC and worked tirelessly from the scratch, but today I decided to join ADC. I was tired of being a sycophant to my former party,” he said.
“I’m sure ADC will win come 2027, and APC knows that ADC will win, having seen the calibre of people, especially the youth, who are joining. They know they are not going anywhere come 2027.
“The APC has only two types of people left in the party as we speak: those intimidated by empty threats, and those in government who are afraid of losing their daily stipends or being denied contracts if they leave for another party, especially the ADC,” Saulawa stated.
Saulawa’s defection adds to a growing list of prominent APC members leaving the party in Katsina, including former Secretary to the State Government Mustapha Inuwa and Senators Ibrahim Tsauri and Baban Kaita.
He projected the ADC as a serious threat to the APC and emphasizes building the party in Katsina, without ruling out future electoral ambitions.