Mustapha Bala Dawaki, who previously served as Chief of Staff to the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, joined the opposition shortly after losing out in the APC’s internal consensus process for a return nomination.
Dawaki also served in the House of Representatives, where he represented the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa constituency in Kano State.
His defection comes less than a week after the APC concluded its screening and consensus arrangements ahead of the 2027 election cycle, where he was not selected to continue as the party’s candidate.
The movement to the NDC was confirmed on Monday by Saifullahi Hassan, media aide to a leading figure in the party and Kwankwasiyya leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Hassan said the development took place at Kwankwaso’s residence in Kano, where Dawaki was formally received into the party structure under the Kwankwasiyya bloc.
In a statement shared on social media, Hassan noted that the party leadership accepted Dawaki into its fold during the meeting.
The NDC is currently finalising its candidate selection process across various states through a consensus arrangement. It is still unclear whether Dawaki will be granted automatic consideration for a ticket under the new party.
