A former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has defected from the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party [PDP] and rejoined the ruling All Progressives Congress [APC].
Shekarau announced his defection on Sunday at his residence on Mundubawa Avenue in Kano, which was decorated with APC posters.
He left the party alongside Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo, a chieftain of the PDP.
Addressing party loyalists, Shekarau said the decision followed wide consultations and careful consideration of available political options.
‘’We have weighed all the options and arrived at this collective resolution. Do you all agree?” he asked, urging anyone opposed to the move to speak up.
The move comes hours after he submitted his resignation letter from the PDP.
In the letter dated April 19, 2026, and addressed to the PDP Chairman of Giginyu Ward in Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State, Shekarau said his exit took immediate effect.
“Accept this letter please as notice of my resignation from my position as member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with effect from today,” he wrote.
He expressed appreciation to party leadership at the ward level.
‘’I thank you for being a good leader, and pray that Allah will continue to guide you in your stewardship,” he added.
The letter was also copied to the Kano State PDP Chairman and the PDP Chairman of Nassarawa Local Government Area, indicating formal notification across party structures.
Shekarau’s move follows months of speculation fuelled by the PDP’s internal crisis.
In April, during a visit by APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, Shekarau hinted at his impending exit from the PDP, describing the opposition party as afflicted by problems that had rendered it ineffective.
He also held closed-door meetings with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf.
Shekarau, who governed Kano State from 2003 to 2011 under the All Nigeria Peoples Party, has a history of party switches. He was a founding member of the APC but later defected.
