The office of the senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District, Rufai Sani Hanga, has directed former New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) local government chairmen in the district to return vehicles earlier provided to them following their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The directive, conveyed in a letter dated January 28, but sighted yesterday, was signed by the Secretary to the Senator's Office, Engr. Ibrahim Nakwalli Kawaji.
A copy of the letter, addressed to the NNPP chairman of Kura Local Government Area, Alhaji Ubale Isyaku Waskas, instructed him to return "the party vehicle provided to you by the Distinguished Senator Rufai Hanga for NNPP activities in your local government" to the senator's office at No. 48, Sokoto Road, Nasarawa GRA, Kano.
It directed that the vehicle be returned between January 28 and January 30, 2026.
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According to the letter, the vehicle would be kept at the senator's office pending the resolution of the party's internal crisis, while urging the recipient to continue serving the party faithfully during the period.
Daily Trust gathered that the directive applies to all NNPP local government chairmen under the Kano Central Senatorial District.
The affected local government areas include Dala, Dawakin Kudu, Fagge, Garun Mallam, Gezawa, Gwale, Kano Municipal, Kumbotso, Kura, Madobi, Minjibir, Nasarawa, Tarauni, Ungogo and Warawa.
The letter further stated that the vehicles must be handed over directly to the head of the senator's office, Alhaji Shehu Tijjani Usman Tarauni, stressing the need for immediate compliance on the grounds that the vehicles are party property.
Daily Trust had reported that Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf last week officially defected to the APC alongside 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives and all 44 local government chairmen in the state.
The development has continued to generate reactions among political actors and party supporters in Kano.
One respondent, social media user Sani Gilashi Haruna, criticised the directive, describing it as unfortunate and inconsistent with past political practices in the state.
He recalled that a prominent politician, Alhaji Abdussalam Abdulkarim, popularly known as AA Zaura, had previously distributed vehicles to party leaders across the 44 local government areas of Kano State without later demanding their return after losing the election.
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He added that Senator Hanga had earlier described the distribution as empowerment, questioning the rationale for asking beneficiaries to return the vehicles.
In a related development, Alhaji Abdussalam Abdulkarim said he was prepared to provide alternative vehicles to the affected party leaders if Senator Hanga insisted on retrieving those earlier given to them.
His spokesperson, Malam Dahiru Ahmad Maihuddadu, said AA Zaura was ready to support the leaders with "better vehicles," describing the senator's action as regrettable.
