THERE was a heavy deployment of security operatives at the Kano State Government House on Monday amid growing speculation over the planned defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
A visit to the Government House by News Point Nigeria revealed the presence of combined security personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), who mounted checkpoints and maintained a strong security cordon around the premises.
At least seven Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) belonging to the police and the DSS were stationed at strategic locations, including the main entrance of the Government House and the roundabout leading to the complex.
Security checks were also intensified, with visitors subjected to strict identification procedures before being granted access.
Although the planned defection had not been officially confirmed as of Monday morning, but party sources say Governor Yusuf is set to formally dump the NNPP for the APC, following weeks of consultations with political stakeholders across the state.
A senior member of the Kano State Executive Council had earlier confirmed the development, saying the governor had concluded arrangements to defect alongside his supporters.
“Yes, of course, the governor is joining APC tomorrow (Monday) with all his NNPP supporters,” the commissioner said on Sunday.
The defection, initially scheduled for January 5, was reportedly postponed to allow for broader consultations and to secure the commitment of key stakeholders, particularly Kano-based members of the National Assembly.
The APC in Kano State is said to be on high alert ahead of the anticipated move. Immediate past governor of the state and former National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, returned to Nigeria from Dubai on Sunday to be part of the expected ceremony.
Ganduje, alongside the Kano State APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, had earlier extended an official invitation to Governor Yusuf on behalf of the party’s leadership, assuring him of cooperation and political accommodation within the APC structure.
Governor Yusuf, who was elected on the platform of the NNPP under the influence of former Kano governor and party leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is believed to be considering the move as part of efforts to strengthen his administration and align Kano more closely with the Federal Government.
Sources close to the governor said Yusuf feels politically safer within the APC, citing unresolved leadership crises and ongoing court cases within the NNPP that could potentially threaten his mandate.
However, the planned defection has sparked sharp opposition from Kwankwaso, the factional leader of the NNPP and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, who has insisted that Yusuf must vacate his office if he chooses to defect.
The disagreement has further deepened divisions within the NNPP and fractured the Kwankwasiyya political structure in Kano State.
It was also learnt that Governor Yusuf plans to defect alongside all chairmen of local government councils in the state, as well as NNPP members of the Kano State House of Assembly, a move that could significantly alter the political balance in the state.