In the aftermath of party primaries, ThisDay analysis focused on the wave of defections from several of district's APC politicians to the PDP, NNPP, and SDP. By February, pundits noted how the incumbent APC state and federal administrations had helped Zangon Daura but the unpopularity of the APC hurt his campaign; for Babba Kaita, positive views of his tenure were thought to help him but the crisis within the Katsina PDP served as a detriment to his campaign.
