The Katsina Restoration Vanguard has washed its hands clean of its Chairman after his sudden political somersault from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Leaders of the movement drawn from the state’s three Senatorial Zones made this known on Saturday while addressing journalists in Katsina, insisting the defection was a solo act that carried no collective blessing.
The Vanguard, a political pressure group founded by former Governor Aminu Masari, is chaired by his former Protocol Officer, Almustapha Abdu-Saulawa, whose recent exit from the APC set tongues wagging across the state.
Speaking for the Funtua Zone, the group’s Coordinator, Abdulkadir Yusuf, declared that members in the zone remained firmly anchored to the vision of the group’s founder, stressing that loyalty had not wavered.
He explained that at the end of Masari’s tenure, stewardship of the Restoration Vanguard was formally transferred to the current APC-led administration under Governor Dikko Radda.
“I wish to inform you that we’re fully in support of the present administration of APC in Katsina, and at the national level,” he said.
From Daura Zone, Coordinator Jamilu Daura made it clear that the Chairman’s defection caught members off guard and was done without consultation, noting bluntly that “he was on his own.”
He added that Abdu-Saulawa had consequently forfeited his position, stressing that the Vanguard remained rooted in the APC and steadfastly committed to its founding ideals.
According to him, the group would press ahead under a new leadership, warning that individual political adventures should not be confused with the collective will of the Vanguard.
Also speaking, Katsina Zone Coordinator, Kabir Gululu, revealed that only two out of the 14 zonal chairmen aligned with the defecting Chairman, describing the fallout as minimal.
Gululu urged youths and supporters not to lose sleep over the development, assuring them that the Vanguard’s spine remained unbroken, as the Chairman’s move ran against the group’s principles and objectives.
He called for calm and focus among members, maintaining that despite the unpleasant twist, the Katsina Restoration Vanguard remained united and on course.
