Kano NNPP Turmoil: Kwankwaso’s Son Set to Exit Cabinet as Yusuf’s Defection Looms

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The Kano State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Kwankwaso, is preparing to step down from his role amid anticipated plans by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to leave the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Mustapha, eldest son of former Kano State governor and NNPP leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has yet to formally resign or be officially relieved of his duties. Sources within the government, however, told Premium Times that he is expected to vacate his office either shortly before or soon after the governor formally exits the party.

Although Governor Yusuf has not publicly confirmed his defection, aides and members of the Kano State House of Assembly indicate that he intends to leave the NNPP due to growing legal and leadership disputes within the party.

Officials familiar with developments disclosed that Mustapha Kwankwaso had already cleared his office of personal belongings following his father’s public opposition to the governor’s anticipated move.

As the rift intensifies, Rabiu Kwankwaso has increased consultations at his Miller Road residence in Kano, meeting with members of the Kwankwasiyya movement committed to remaining in the NNPP. In a bid to consolidate loyalty, he reportedly launched a register at his residence to document elected officials and political appointees who remain aligned with him.

By Friday, several senior government officials had reaffirmed their allegiance to Kwankwaso, rejecting Governor Yusuf’s planned transition to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Those reportedly signing the loyalty register include the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Yusuf Kofar-Mata; the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Adamu Aliyu; the Commissioner for Internal Security, Ibrahim Umar; and the Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Hamza Kachako.

Other signatories include the Head of Service, Abdullahi Musa; Executive Secretary of the Kano Scholarship Board, Musa Danzaki; and the Managing Director of Kwari Textile Market, Hamisu Dogonnama.

The political divide has extended into the legislature. Senator Rufa’i Hanga (Kano Central) and House of Representatives members Mukhtar Yarima, Abdulkarim Ado, and Sani Wakili have aligned themselves with the Kwankwaso faction.

While Governor Yusuf commands the support of the majority of NNPP lawmakers in both state and federal assemblies, some state legislators—including Yusuf Aliyu and Zakariyya Ishaq—have maintained loyalty to Kwankwaso. The lawmaker representing Madobi Local Government Area, Kwankwaso’s hometown, was reported as undecided as of Friday.

Despite some pockets of resistance, insiders said the governor has secured broad backing in what they described as a “palace coup,” with all 44 local government chairpersons, their deputies, and most ward-level party executives poised to join Yusuf in the APC.

The unfolding developments signify a major shift in Kano’s political dynamics, as Governor Yusuf, once considered Rabiu Kwankwaso’s closest political protégé, charts an independent course after nearly four decades of alignment.