A wave of resignations has hit the Katsina State Government, with at least five political appointees of Governor Dikko Umaru Radda stepping down within days.
The resignations have drawn significant attention in political circles due to their timing and the number of officials leaving the administration within a short period. Observers note that the exits come at a time of ongoing political realignment within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The latest official to quit is the Deputy Commander of the Katsina State Hisbah Board in charge of Operations, Muhammad Shitu Maslaha, who tendered his resignation in a letter dated October 6, 2026. His departure came a day after that of the Commander-General of the Hisbah Board, Dr. Aminu Usman, popularly known as Abu Ammar, who left office on Monday, October 5.
The development follows the resignation of the Chairman of the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Kabir Bature Sarkin Alhazai, who stepped down after serving since his appointment by Governor Radda in 2023.
Other high-profile exits include Fadila Sani Dalhatu, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Project Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation, who submitted her resignation letter on October 5, and Alhaji Abubakar Soja Tsanni, who served as Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth Development.
Sources within the Katsina Government House told *Daily Trust* that additional political appointees could resign in the coming days.
Earlier in 2026, two officials resigned from the administration to pursue their political ambitions. The former Katsina State Commissioner for Environment, Hamza Suleiman Faskari, resigned on March 30 to contest an elective position in 2027. Similarly, Shehu Abdu Daura, a Special Assistant to Governor Radda on Drugs, Narcotics, and Human Trafficking, resigned in March to participate in the APC primary for the Katsina North (Daura) Senatorial District.
The official reasons for the recent wave of resignations remain unclear, as none of the affected officials has publicly linked their decision to any disagreement with Governor Radda. Likewise, the state government has not indicated that the departures are connected or stem from an internal political crisis.
However, political observers believe the development could be linked to alleged intra-party friction within the Katsina chapter of the APC—a rift that key actors have repeatedly denied.
A source within the state APC told our reporter that some of the former appointees had aligned themselves with the camp of Ibrahim Kabir Masari, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Political Affairs.
“We are aware that some of those who left the Dikko administration recently have moved to pitch their tents with Ibrahim Masari. We have heard that they left to align with the Abuja-Katsina APC camp,” the source said.
Other sources attributed the exits to an alleged statement by Governor Radda urging political appointees who felt they were not receiving desired privileges, or could no longer effectively contribute to the administration, to resign and make way for others. It could not, however, be independently established whether the governor made such a statement or if it directly influenced the resignations.
The developments come amid heightened political activity in Katsina ahead of the 2027 general elections, with political parties and support groups stepping up mobilization across the state.
Speaking on the trend, Mr. Ahmed Baba Kado of the Good Governance Initiative said the resignations point to an underlying rift within the Katsina APC.
“They have tried to make it appear that all is well in the party, despite clear indications that the actors allegedly involved in the disagreement are operating in different directions,” Kado said. “The current developments—particularly the resignations and the reported alignment of some former appointees with the Masari camp—have exposed the situation within the APC in Katsina.”
Kado added that unresolved internal disputes could compromise the ruling party’s prospects in the 2027 elections.
Conversely, a lecturer at Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina, Dr. Bala Abdullahi, described the resignations as standard political maneuvering. He noted that political appointees often leave office due to personal dissatisfaction or to pursue alternative opportunities, adding that such shifts are common in environments lacking strong political ideology.
On the alleged rift among APC heavyweights, Abdullahi maintained that the matter remains speculative.
“As far as what is in the public domain shows, the alleged rift remains speculative since none of the actors has acknowledged it. It is also clear that they all continue to profess support for the victory of the party,” he said.
The developments coincide with broader political realignments in Katsina, including the recent return of former Secretary to the State Government, Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa, and his supporters to the APC, welcomed by Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
With political momentum building ahead of 2027, attention remains focused on whether this wave of resignations will subside or trigger further exits from the Radda administration in the days ahead.
