Resignations hit Katsina over Radda/Masari feud – Daily Trust

A wave of resignations has hit the Katsina State Government, with at least five political appointees of Governor Dikko Umaru Radda leaving their positions within days.

The resignations have attracted attention in political circles because of their timing and the number of appointees leaving the administration within a short period.

Many have also pointed out that it is coming at time when there’s   realignment by members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Katsina State.

The latest to resign 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 resignation 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 also followed the resignation of the Chairman of the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Kabir Bature Sarkin Alhazai, who quit his position after serving since his appointment by Governor Radda in 2023.

Also on the list is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Katsina State Project Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation, Fadila Sani Dalhatu, who submitted her resignation in a letter dated October 5, and another appointee who has resigned is Alhaji Abubakar Soja Tsanni, who served as Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth Development.

Sources within the Katsina Government House also told Daily Trust that more political appointees could resign in the coming days.

Earlier in 2026, two persons resigned from the State Executive Council  to pursue their political ambitions. They are Hamza Suleiman Faskari, the Katsina state Commissioner for Environment, who resigned on March 30. He resigned specifically to pursue an elective position in the 2027 elections.

Similarly, Shehu Abdu Daura, a Special Assistant to Governor Radda on Drugs, Narcotics and Human Trafficking resigned in March to participate in the APC primaries for the 2027 elections as candidate for Katsina North (Daura) Senatorial District under the APC

The reasons for the resignations, however, remain unclear, as none of the affected officials has publicly linked the decision to any disagreement with Governor Radda or his administration.

The state government has also not indicated that the departures are connected or that they are the result of any internal political crisis within the state.

However, political observers believe the development could be linked, directly or indirectly, to the alleged intra-party differences within the Katsina chapter of the APC) which key actors have repeatedly denied.

A source within the state APC told our reporter that some of the former appointees had moved closer to the camp of the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Political Affairs, Ibrahim Kabir Masari.

“We are aware that some of those who have 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.

Some other sources attributed the resignations to an alleged statement by Governor Radda urging political appointees who felt they were not getting the desired privileges or could no longer effectively contribute to the administration to resign and give way to those willing to work for the development of the state.

It could not, however, be independently established whether the governor made such a statement or whether it had any direct connection with the recent resignations.

The resignations come amid increasing political activities in Katsina ahead of the 2027 general elections, with political parties and support groups stepping up mobilisation across the state.

Speaking on the development, Mr Ahmed Baba Kado of the Good Governance Initiative said the resignations could be an indication of an underlying disagreement within the Katsina APC. He said although the alleged differences between the two major political camps in the state had not been publicly acknowledged, recent developments appeared to have exposed divisions within the party.

“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.

“It is obvious that they will not make the disagreement public, but 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,” he said.

Kado added that the development should concern the ruling party because prolonged internal disagreements could affect its chances in the 2027 elections if they are not properly addressed.

However, a lecturer at Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina, Dr Bala Abdullahi, described the resignations as a normal occurrence in politics, saying political appointees could leave office because of dissatisfaction or in pursuit of other political opportunities.

He said the development could also be influenced by the absence of strong political ideology among politicians, adding that the timing of the resignations could have political implications for the ruling party.

On the alleged rift among some political actors in the APC, Abdullahi said the matter remained speculative because the individuals involved had not publicly acknowledged any disagreement.

“The significance of the resignations may depend on what the former appointees do after leaving office, particularly whether they remain within the governor’s political camp or align with other emerging political groups.

“As far as what is in the public domain shows, the alleged rift remains a speculation 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 latest development also comes against the backdrop of major political movements in Katsina, including the recent return of former Secretary to the State Government, Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa, and other politicians to the APC in the presence of Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

However, with political activities gathering momentum ahead of 2027, attention is now focused on whether the resignations will stop with the five officials or trigger further departures from the Radda administration in the coming days.