PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday extended warm birthday felicitations to Kano State Governor, Abba Kabiru Yusuf, praising his leadership qualities and developmental strides, in a message that comes amid heightened political tension and growing anticipation over the governor’s imminent defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Yusuf, who turns 63, was originally expected to formally defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Monday, January 5, 2026 his birthday, but the move has now been postponed to January 12, following fresh consultations with political stakeholders.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga sent to News Point Nigeria, President Tinubu commended Yusuf’s “integrity, modesty, humility, and commitment to public service,” describing his administration as reflective of Kano’s long-standing tradition of progressive politics.
The President highlighted the governor’s experience in public service, particularly his tenure as a commissioner overseeing key portfolios, which he said had prepared Yusuf for the scale of infrastructural renewal currently unfolding in the state.
“Governor Yusuf’s leadership experience, particularly his years as commissioner, managing strategic portfolios in Kano State, may have prepared him for the kind of infrastructural changes now witnessed in the state,” Tinubu stated.
According to the President, Yusuf’s administration has embarked on urban renewal projects, including the construction of bridges and road networks, as well as five-kilometre road projects across each local government area in Kano State.
Tinubu also praised the governor’s education reforms, noting that Yusuf’s declaration of a state of emergency in education had begun to yield positive results.
“I also understand that his declaration of emergency in education has engendered a marked improvement in the performance of Kano students in NECO examinations,” the President said.
Describing Kano as “the bastion of progressive politics in the North,” Tinubu added that Yusuf’s governance style echoed the legacy of the late Mallam Aminu Kano, particularly in advancing grassroots development and improving the welfare of the Talakawa.
Behind the scenes, political realignments in Kano have intensified. Reports indicate that at least 25 out of the 27 NNPP members of the Kano State House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Yusuf Falgore, have endorsed Yusuf’s planned defection to the APC.
Several local government chairmen are also said to have thrown their weight behind the governor, further strengthening his negotiating position.
A source close to the governor disclosed that Yusuf had requested additional time during a meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja on Friday, to consult widely with legislators and other stakeholders who are yet to fully align with the move.
The planned defection has deepened the rift between Yusuf and his political godfather, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the national leader of the NNPP and founder of the Kwankwasiyya Movement.
Kwankwaso has openly questioned the pressure on the Kano governor to defect, arguing that such a move would strip the Kwankwasiyya movement of its only executive stronghold nationwide.
He warned that if the governor was determined to leave the NNPP, those encouraging the move should be ready to have him relinquish the governorship.
Similarly, NNPP Kano State Chairman, Hashimu Dungurawa, appealed to Yusuf to reconsider, warning that defecting to the APC would amount to a betrayal of the mandate freely given to him by voters on the NNPP platform.
On the other side of the divide, the APC in Kano has openly welcomed the governor’s potential defection.
The state APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, formally invited Yusuf to join the party, declaring that the APC was ready to receive him “with open arms.”
“Together, we can pool our strengths for the progress and stability of Kano State,” Abbas said.
Yusuf remains the NNPP’s only sitting governor nationwide, making his defection a potentially devastating blow to the party’s national relevance.