Political stakes in Kano State have surged as reports suggest that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is preparing to defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This development has intensified the long-standing rivalry between the governor and NNPP leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Sources indicate that in reaction to growing speculation about Yusuf’s potential departure, Kwankwaso initiated a loyalty register for party office holders, aimed at identifying those who remain aligned with his leadership and the Kwankwasiyya Movement.
The unfolding tensions coincided with Governor Yusuf’s 63rd birthday celebrations in Abuja, which were attended by senior government officials and prominent political figures. Party insiders note that Kwankwaso chose to abstain from the event, instead holding strategic meetings with NNPP stakeholders at his Kano residence to reinforce his political base.
Reports from The Nation suggest that these contrasting actions have deepened divisions within the NNPP, extending fault lines into the National Assembly caucus. Governor Yusuf has reportedly secured backing from the 40-member Kano State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Jibril Isma’il Falgore, alongside support from all 44 local government chairmen.
At the federal level, NNPP lawmakers representing Kano remain split over Yusuf’s proposed defection. Of the 21 House of Representatives members from the state, 13 were elected under the NNPP platform. Among them, Umar Mukhtari Zakari (Tarauni) has openly opposed Yusuf’s move. In contrast, lawmakers including Aliyu Sani Madaki (Dala), Abdulmumin Jibrin (Bebeji/Kiru), Yusuf Rabiu (Sumaila/Takai), and Sani Abdullahi (Karaye/Rogo) have already crossed to the APC. Others reported to have defected include Kabiru Usman (Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya) and Sagir Ibrahim Koki (Kano Municipal).
Initially, the formal defection ceremony was scheduled for Monday, with Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda expected to officially receive Yusuf into the party. However, APC insiders confirmed that the event was postponed to January 12 to allow further consultations with Kano-based National Assembly members and other key stakeholders yet to fully commit to the move.
A close aide to Governor Yusuf revealed that he has not completed formal registration at his ward or obtained an APC membership card. The aide added that the defection is part of a broader political strategy to solidify Yusuf’s position within Kano APC and enhance his prospects for the 2027 governorship ticket.
Kwankwaso, opposed to the plan, is reportedly considering a shift to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in protest. Party sources warn that Yusuf’s departure could substantially weaken the Kwankwasiyya Movement, recalling Kwankwaso’s longstanding position that betrayal comes with consequences.
The rift also prompted the removal of Hashimu Dungurawa, a staunch Kwankwaso loyalist, as NNPP state chairman. Yusuf subsequently appointed Alhaji Abdullahi Zubairu Abiya as acting state chairman. Although the Kano State High Court upheld Dungurawa’s suspension and barred him from presenting himself as chairman, the NNPP national secretariat rejected the change, declaring it invalid and dissolving ward, local government, and state executive structures indefinitely.
From the APC perspective, Yusuf’s entry is viewed as a major gain, potentially stripping the NNPP of its sole governorship seat and weakening its national influence. The move is expected to strengthen APC dominance in Kano ahead of the 2027 elections. Key party figures, including former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and state APC chairman Abdullahi Abbas, have openly encouraged Yusuf to join the party without hesitation.
However, his anticipated induction is likely to trigger internal competition over the 2027 governorship ticket, potentially complicating Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin’s ambitions and reshaping alliances and electoral calculations in Kano. While Barau has remained publicly neutral, Senator Rufai Sani Hanga (Kano Central) has stayed with the NNPP, and Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila (Kano South), who defected to the APC last year, has distanced himself from the Kwankwasiyya Movement.
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