Rival Camps Clash as APC Unity Meeting Turns Rowdy in Kano.
By Bala Salihu Dawakin Kudu
Democracy Newsline | February 7, 2026.
What was intended to be a healing and reconciliation forum for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State on Saturday instead exposed the deep-seated fractures within the party, as rival political camps clashed during a unity stakeholders’ meeting in the Dawakin-Tofa/Tofa/Rimingado Federal Constituency.
The meeting, convened to strengthen internal cohesion and consolidate recent defections into the ruling party, was disrupted by heated exchanges between supporters of key political actors, leading to chaos and the abrupt end of proceedings.
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How the Crisis Began
According to multiple eyewitness accounts, tension flared when Hajiya Hasiya Aminu, a former NNPP women leader in Dawakin-Tofa who recently defected to the APC, openly criticised the constituency’s House of Representatives member, Hon. Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe, accusing him of neglecting party loyalists and grassroots supporters.
Hajiya Hasiya reportedly urged Jobe to emulate the leadership approach of the Chairman of Dawakin-Tofa Local Government, Anas Mukhtar Bello DanMaliki, and prominent APC stakeholder Engr. Abba Ganduje, whom she praised for sustained engagement with party members at the ward and local government levels.
Her comments, witnesses said, immediately drew visible anger from Hon. Jobe, who attempted to respond. However, organisers intervened, seized the microphone, and restrained the lawmaker in a bid to calm the situation.
Meeting Descends into Disorder.
Despite the intervention, the atmosphere quickly deteriorated. Youths believed to be loyal to Hon. Jobe began chanting and disrupting the meeting, forcing several party leaders to flee the venue for safety.
In the ensuing chaos, the event’s master of ceremonies reportedly had his clothes torn and narrowly escaped physical harm, underscoring how fragile internal peace within the party has become.
An eyewitness told Democracy Newsline Updates that the incident marked one of the most disorderly APC gatherings in the constituency in recent years.
The clash did not occur in isolation. Political observers note that it was the first major attempt to bring together supporters of Hon. Jobe and Engr. Abba Ganduje since the bruising contest and alignments of the last general election cycle.
During that period, both camps reportedly mobilised separate political structures and loyalists across Dawakin-Tofa, Tofa, and Rimingado, leading to parallel campaign networks and lingering mistrust.
While Hon. Jobe emerged as the House of Representatives member, Engr. Abba Ganduje was widely credited by his supporters for maintaining a strong grassroots base, particularly through consistent ward-level engagement and strategic alliances.
Several party members at Saturday’s meeting privately recalled how, during the last election, campaign events were often held separately by the two camps, with little coordination—an issue that many feared weakened the party’s overall performance in parts of the constituency.
The unresolved grievances from that period, analysts say, resurfaced during the unity meeting, despite calls for reconciliation.
The gathering was also significant because it brought together, for the first time under the APC platform, politicians previously aligned with the Kwankwasiyya and Gandujiyya political blocs—two movements whose rivalry has long shaped Kano’s political landscape.
Among those present were aspirants for the House of Representatives seat, including Barrister Munir Dahiru Maigari, former Rimingado Local Government Chairman Dr. Jinaidu Yakubu Tofa, and Engr. Abba Ganduje himself. Also in attendance virtually was the Director-General of Media to the Kano State Governor, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, alongside other party stakeholders.
The unity meeting followed recent political realignments in the state, including the widely reported defection of Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf from the NNPP to the APC, alongside several federal and state lawmakers, Hon. Jobe included. Party insiders say these defections have raised the stakes within the APC, intensifying competition for influence, recognition, and future tickets ahead of upcoming elections.
Saturday’s incident has now become a litmus test for APC leadership in Kano State. Analysts warn that unless deliberate reconciliation mechanisms are put in place, unresolved rivalries from past elections could undermine the party’s stability despite its growing numbers.
“Unity cannot be declared; it must be negotiated. What happened here is a reminder that the wounds of the last election are still fresh.”
For the APC in Dawakin-Tofa/Tofa/Rimingado, the challenge remains clear—turn numerical strength into genuine unity, or risk repeating history at the next polls.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, FEBRUARY 7TH 2026)
