The political atmosphere in Kebbi State has been thrown into disarray following unconfirmed reports that Governor Nasiru Idris may be planning to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The rumour, which has gone viral on social media, claims that Governor Idris is among five serving APC governors allegedly aligning with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in a broad opposition coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Despite the wide circulation of the report, the Kebbi State government has maintained silence for over 48 hours, further fueling speculation and raising eyebrows across the political spectrum.
“The silence is deafening,” said an APC member from the governor’s Nassarawa II ward, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “If there was nothing to hide, we would have heard a denial by now. People are worried, and rightly so.”
The situation has stirred anxiety among party loyalists and created a palpable sense of uncertainty. Some fear that the governor’s defection could trigger a chain reaction, weakening the APC’s already fragile grip on the state.
While some party members have dismissed the defection rumour as typical political propaganda, others are openly concerned. “I don’t believe it’s true,” said Alhaji Sani Bello, a senior APC figure in Birnin Kebbi. “Governor Idris has invested too much in the APC to abandon it now.”
However, political observers note that the PDP continues to maintain a formidable presence in Kebbi. All three senators representing the state — Adamu Aliero (North), Yahaya Abdullahi (Central), and Garba Musa Maidoki (South) — are members of the PDP, giving the opposition a solid legislative base.
Former Governor Adamu Aliero, who defected to the PDP, still wields substantial influence in Kebbi’s political landscape, and many see him as a key player in shaping future alignments.
Governor Idris’s narrow victory in the 2023 gubernatorial election — securing just 52% of the vote against PDP’s General Aminu Bande — has also fueled speculation that he may be eyeing a safer political home ahead of 2027.
The uncertainty has prompted internal tensions within the APC. Reports indicate that some top members have initiated back-channel talks with alternative parties, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), in anticipation of Idris’s possible exit.
In response to the unrest, APC State Chairman Muhammad Zuru issued a public warning, urging members to stay united. “As party members, we must remain loyal and sincerely support both the party and the government,” he cautioned, while also discouraging alignment with “so-called emerging political parties.”
Some within the party are already looking toward a post-Idris scenario. Conversations have begun to circulate around the possibility of Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, returning to Kebbi politics as a potential APC standard-bearer in 2027.
“If Malami steps in, it could restore stability,” said Ahmed Jibril, a veteran political operative. “He has the clout and the national connection to bring the party back together.”
Meanwhile, attempts to reach Kabir Sani-Giant, the governor’s Special Adviser on Power and Politics, have been unsuccessful. Sani-Giant, recently suspended from the APC after a bizarre incident involving a snake at the Government House, has remained incommunicado since the controversy.
As Kebbi awaits an official statement from Governor Idris, the future of APC in the state remains clouded in uncertainty — and the clock to 2027 is already ticking.
