Deputy Minority Leader Madakin Gini Defects to APC Amidst Deepening Fractures Within NNPP Leadership

Kano lawmaker Aliyu Sani Madakin Gini leaves NNPP for APC, citing a leadership crisis and parallel structures between Kwankwaso and Aniebonam factions.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 12, 2026, 5:46 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Daily Post Nigeria

A Major Shift in the House Leadership Hierarchy

The political landscape in Kano State experienced a significant tremor as Aliyu Sani Madakin Gini, the Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, formally ended his affiliation with the New Nigeria Peoples Party. Representing the Dala Federal Constituency, Gini’s move to the All Progressives Congress marks a high-profile departure from the opposition ranks. In an official correspondence dated March 10, 2026, the lawmaker notified his local ward chairman in Dala Local Government Area of his resignation, signaling a definitive break from his previous political home. According to Gini, this transition was finalized after extensive dialogue with his primary support base and stakeholders across his constituency.

Erosion of the Kwankwasiyya Movement Influence

The defection serves as the culmination of a visible distancing between the lawmaker and the Kwankwasiyya movement, the influential political group led by Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Observers had previously noted Gini’s decision to stop wearing the symbolic red cap associated with the movement, although he had initially maintained his formal party membership. This gradual detachment highlights a growing friction between established legislative figures and the ideological core of the movement in Kano. The lawmaker emphasized that while his commitment to his constituents remains firm, the prevailing conditions within the party necessitated a change in platform to better serve his people.

Factions and the Breakdown of Party Unity

Central to the lawmaker's grievances is a systemic breakdown in the party’s organizational structure, which Gini described as being split into hostile factions. He pointed to a widening rift between the camp loyal to the party’s founder, Boniface Aniebonam, and the wing led by former Governor Kwankwaso. This internal conflict has resulted in the emergence of parallel leadership hierarchies that stretch from the grassroots ward level all the way to the national executive committee. According to Gini, these competing structures have rendered the party’s internal governance unsustainable, creating an environment of instability that hindered effective political representation.