The All Progressives Congress has labelled Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s defection to the African Democratic Congress as a political transaction driven by ego.

“The Lagos state chapter of the All Progressives Congress views the recent defection of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso with both caution and scepticism,” said the Lagos APC, in a statement by its spokesperson Seye Oladejo on Tuesday. “While some are eager to portray this move as a seismic political realignment, a closer examination reveals a narrative driven more by ego than by principle.”

Mr Kwankwaso joined the ADC on Monday and described the coalition party as offering the best opportunity to transform Nigeria. Political observers described the move as a strategic alignment amid efforts by opposition politicians to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

However, the ruling APC viewed the ex-Kano governor’s decision as “more a calculated exercise in self-aggrandisement” designed to satisfy personal ambition rather than serve Nigerians’ interests.

“Senator Kwankwaso has long publicly declared that any defection on his part must guarantee him a presidential or vice-presidential ticket.

“This defection, therefore, is less a genuine commitment to national interest or ideological alignment and more a calculated exercise in self-aggrandisement. It is a political transaction designed to satisfy personal ambition, not to advance meaningful governance or serve the Nigerian people,” the APC statement said.

Berating Mr Kwankwaso’s political influence as overstated, the APC dismissed his defection to the ADC as an ego-driven, opportunistic manoeuvre, claiming that “the vaunted Kwankwasiyya movement, often presented as a formidable grassroots force, has long been in tatters”.

Mr Kwankwaso’s media aide, Saifullahi Hassan, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Recently, the U.S. Congress proposed a visa ban and asset freeze against Mr Kwankwaso, members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and other Fulani groups, among a slew of sanctions meant to pressure the Nigerian government into ending the alleged persecution of Christians.