Former Yobe South Senator Mohammed Hassan, popularly known as Dambu, has formally joined the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), with party leaders describing his defection as a boost to the opposition’s push for unity ahead of 2027.
Hassan, who served as Yobe State Commissioner of Finance under former Governor Mamman Ali and represented Yobe South in the Senate from 2015 to 2019 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2022 before making the latest switch.
His reception was announced in Abuja during a meeting at the residence of former Bayelsa Governor and NDC leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson. The event was also attended by the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and former Kano Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Dickson said Hassan’s arrival, alongside other political stakeholders from Yobe and Edo State, aligned with the NDC’s mission to provide an “alternative platform” for opposition parties and Nigerians dissatisfied with the current political climate.
Calling for unity among opposition groups, Dickson urged NDC members to refrain from attacking leaders of other parties such as the ADC and APM, saying, “We must see ourselves, whether in the ADC, APM, or other genuine opposition parties, as belonging to one political family.”
He also called on party leaders at all levels to accommodate new entrants, noting that the NDC “belongs to all Nigerians.” Dickson said the current political climate, marked by intimidation and persecution, required opposition forces to “work collectively towards building a National Salvation Programme that will rescue the nation from the failed policies of the APC-led government.”
Kwankwaso, in a post on X, welcomed Hassan into the party, describing him as “a seasoned grassroots mobiliser and outstanding legislator” who distinguished himself during his tenure in the Senate.
“It was therefore a pleasure to formally receive him into the party today during a productive meeting at the residence of Senator Seriake Dickson in Abuja,” Kwankwaso wrote.
Hassan’s defection adds to the growing list of political figures aligning with the NDC as opposition parties seek to consolidate ahead of the next general elections.
