Former Kano State Governor and prominent National Democratic Congress (NDC) chieftain, Senator Kabiru Gaya, is set to return to the All Progressives Congress (APC) following a private meeting with the party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda .
Gaya’s decision to rejoin the APC came after a closed-door meeting with Yilwatda at his residence on Yaounde Street, Abuja, on Monday night. Sources familiar with the discussion confirmed that the meeting lasted about 45 minutes, during which Gaya agreed to return to the ruling party .
“Yes, Senator Kabiru Gaya has agreed to re-join the APC,” a source confirmed .
The development comes only days after Gaya reportedly lost the NDC senatorial ticket for Kano South, despite recently defecting to the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections . Gaya had resigned from the APC on April 5, 2026, briefly joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and later moved to the NDC alongside former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso .
Gaya, who served as Governor of Kano State during the Third Republic between 1992 and 1993, later represented Kano South Senatorial District in the Senate from 2015 to 2023 on the APC platform. He lost his re-election bid in 2023 to Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, who contested under the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) .
The meeting between Yilwatda and Gaya is part of a broader series of engagements the APC National Chairman has been holding with opposition figures in Kano State. Professor Nentawe described the meeting as “warm and focused on the unity of Kano State,” adding that both leaders agreed on the need for dialogue and peaceful coexistence .
The visit follows similar meetings between the APC chairman and Senator Rufai Hanga, the lone NDC Senator in the state and a close ally of the party’s Vice Presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso . Those engagements were similarly framed around peace and unity but widely interpreted as part of APC’s broader strategy to woo opposition leaders ahead of the 2027 elections.
Gaya’s expected return marks another significant shift in Kano’s political landscape as parties continue to reposition ahead of the next election cycle. His return to the APC is likely to have implications for the party’s fortunes in the state, given his extensive political experience and following in Kano. However, details surrounding the timing of his return and the official confirmation from the APC have yet to be announced.