INDICATIONS have emerged that Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, is on the verge of defecting from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in what is shaping up to be a major political realignment in the state.
Multiple sources within government and party circles told News Point Nigeria that the governor’s defection is imminent, barring any last-minute change.
According to the sources, Yusuf has already made up his mind to leave the NNPP and is prepared to do so with or without the blessing of his long-time political mentor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Insiders disclosed that the governor reached the decision after extensive consultations with key stakeholders across the state, including members of the Kano State House of Assembly, local government chairmen, and some federal lawmakers representing Kano at the National Assembly. The consultations reportedly revealed strong backing for Yusuf’s move, particularly among grassroots political leaders.
The momentum behind the planned defection gained public attention on Sunday after a viral video surfaced showing the governor’s Director of Protocol, Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, openly declaring support for Yusuf’s move to the APC.
Speaking alongside party leaders in Rogo Local Government Area, Rogo said stakeholders in the area had resolved to follow the governor wherever he goes politically.
“We at Rogo Local Government, under the leadership of the Speaker, Jibrin Ismail Falgore, myself, the council chairman, caucus leaders, elders, women and youth leaders, have resolved that Kwankwaso is our leader, and that he and Governor Yusuf should take us to the APC,” Rogo said.
He argued that joining the APC was in the best interest of Kano residents, Nigeria, and even Kwankwaso himself, adding that the ruling party offered a stronger platform for national political relevance.
“We believe his presidential ambition can be realised in the APC if we join now. This is our collective stand. While we remain Kwankwasiyya members for life, we believe joining the APC is the solution for now,” he added, while also urging supporters to avoid abusive politics and refrain from attacking political leaders.
Support for the governor’s planned defection also came from Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, where the Director-General of Media and Publicity at the Kano Government House, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, publicly aligned himself with local party leaders backing Yusuf.
At a meeting of NNPP caucus members in the area, the local government chairman, Anas Danmaliki, declared that the Kwankwasiyya movement had split into pro-masses and anti-masses factions, insisting that he and all councillors would stand firmly with Governor Yusuf.
Reacting to the declaration, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa said: “I, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, as one of the caucus members in the local government, am with whatever Danmaliki said one thousand percent.”
Sources further revealed that Governor Yusuf is expected to formally announce his defection to the APC in the first week of January, a move that could significantly alter Kano’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Meanwhile, Senator Kwankwaso was said to have summoned members of the Kano State House of Assembly to a closed-door meeting on Friday, where he reportedly acknowledged that the governor was set to leave the NNPP. According to those briefed on the meeting, Kwankwaso told the lawmakers that anyone willing to follow Yusuf was free to do so.
However, the former governor reportedly expressed reservations about the rationale behind the planned defection, reminding the lawmakers that the NNPP secured victory in the 2023 governorship election against all odds.
“He told them that the party won the election with nobody but God,” a source said. Kwankwaso was quoted as asking rhetorically: “Will the God that gave us power in 2023 not be around in 2027?”
Another source disclosed that when the lawmakers later met with Governor Yusuf to seek clarification, he told them bluntly that his decision to join the APC was “irreversible.”
Governor Yusuf remains the only sitting governor elected on the platform of the NNPP during the 2023 general elections, his defection, if confirmed, would represent a significant blow to the party and the Kwankwasiyya movement, while strengthening the APC’s foothold in Kano State ahead of future political contests.