FOR more than a month, Kano State has been gripped by intense political drama, speculation, defections, counter-accusations and high-level negotiations that now appear to have altered the state’s political trajectory forever.
What began as quiet rumours of a possible defection has snowballed into one of the most consequential political realignments in Kano’s recent history, pitting long-time allies against each other and testing the very foundation of the Kwankwasiyya Movement.
Investigations by News Point Nigeria online newspaper reveal that the developments culminating in Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s resignation from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) were not sudden, but the product of weeks of consultations, internal party crises, and behind-the-scenes negotiations stretching from Kano to Abuja.
About two weeks before the final announcement, clear indications emerged that Governor Yusuf was on the verge of defecting from the NNPP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Multiple sources within government and party circles told News Point Nigeria that the move was imminent, barring any last-minute intervention.
According to insiders, the governor had already made up his mind to leave the NNPP and was prepared to do so with or without the blessing of his political mentor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
The decision, sources said, followed extensive consultations with critical stakeholders across the state, including members of the Kano State House of Assembly, local government chairmen, and some federal lawmakers. These consultations reportedly revealed overwhelming support for Yusuf’s defection, especially at the grassroots level, where concerns about the NNPP’s internal instability had grown.
The simmering political tension burst into the open two weeks when a viral video surfaced showing the governor’s Director of Protocol, Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, openly endorsing Yusuf’s planned move to the APC.
Standing alongside party leaders in Rogo Local Government Area, Rogo declared that political stakeholders in the area had resolved to follow Governor Yusuf wherever he goes.
“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,” he said.
Rogo argued that joining the APC was in the best interest of Kano State, Nigeria, and even Senator Kwankwaso himself, insisting that the ruling party offered a more viable platform for national political relevance.
“We believe his presidential ambition can be realised in the APC if we join now,” he added, while urging supporters to avoid abusive politics.
Barely a day later, the NNPP in Kano was plunged into fresh turmoil with the sack and expulsion of the party’s State Chairman, Hashimu Dungurawa, by executives of Gargari Ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area.
News Point Nigeria reported that 27 ward executives unanimously endorsed Dungurawa’s removal during their second executive meeting held two weeks after the general election.
According to the resolution sighted by this newspaper, Dungurawa was expelled over allegations of creating divisions within the party, instigating crises, failing to pay party dues, and making abusive remarks against Governor Yusuf.
However, a senior NNPP source told News Point Nigeria that the sack was politically motivated, claiming it was engineered by pro-Yusuf forces after Dungurawa repeatedly opposed the governor’s planned defection and defended Kwankwaso.
Dungurawa had earlier publicly attacked the governor during a Freedom Radio programme, accusing him of betrayal.
Within 24 hours, Hon. Abdullahi Zubairu Abiya emerged as Acting State Chairman of the NNPP in Kano after an emergency meeting of the State Executive Committee.
The decision, announced by the party’s Assistant Legal Adviser, Barrister Yusuf Mukhtar, was said to comply strictly with the NNPP constitution. Party leaders said the move was necessary to restore discipline and reposition the party amid growing defections.
“The party cannot afford prolonged internal instability,” a senior party official said.
As speculation intensified, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso issued a series of stern warnings. Speaking at his residence in Kano, he cautioned party members against defection, insisting that political betrayal never ends well.
“Nobody has betrayed us and succeeded,” Kwankwaso said in a viral video. Political history is very clear.”
He maintained that the strength of the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement lies in the masses, not elected officials chasing personal interests.
In a subsequent address, Kwankwaso went further, warning Governor Yusuf to relinquish the governorship seat if he intended to defect.
“If you have 30 governors, why must you take Kano State governor?” he asked. He is the only one left for us in the Government House.”
Describing the unfolding crisis as a nightmare, Kwankwaso said he wished he would wake up to find it untrue.
Days later, Kwankwaso doubled down, declaring that he was a politician with “no price tag. If you are looking for who has no price tag, come to Rabiu Kwankwaso,” he said.
He argued that Kano politics is different, insisting that voters in the state cannot be bought with money bags.
The political tide tilted decisively when the Kano State House of Assembly publicly endorsed Yusuf’s planned defection. Majority Leader Lawan Hussaini cited leadership crises and court cases within the NNPP that could jeopardise Yusuf’s mandate.
Drawing parallels with the Zamfara APC crisis of 2019, Hussaini warned that judicial rulings could invalidate NNPP nominations. We cannot continue to remain in the party and risk a repeat of the legal disaster that happened in Zamfara State,” he said.
As the defection date approached, News Point Nigeria observed heavy deployment of security operatives around the Kano Government House. Armoured personnel carriers from the police and DSS were stationed at strategic locations amid heightened tension.
A senior commissioner confirmed that Yusuf was set to defect alongside his supporters, although the date had earlier been postponed for wider consultations.
The crisis deepened when Kwankwaso accused the Kano State Government of coercing officials to defect. The state government swiftly denied the allegation, insisting participation was voluntary.
Governor Yusuf’s closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa further intensified speculation.
Although the governor publicly framed the meeting as one on security and development, insiders said it addressed critical political guarantees 2027 re-election prospects, protection of political structures, and influence over federal appointments.
Sources told News Point Nigeria that Yusuf demanded assurances, especially amid fears posed by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin’s governorship ambition.
Two days later, the political suspense ended. Governor Yusuf formally resigned from the NNPP in a letter dated January 25, 2026, citing unresolved leadership disputes and legal battles.
“After careful reflection… I have come to the conclusion that my resignation is in the best interest of the people of Kano State,” he wrote.
Kano speaker and 21 Assembly members defected alongside him.
Barely 24 hours later, Yusuf sacked his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Sunusi Surajo, a Kwankwasiyya loyalist, replacing him with a former Ganduje aide signaling full political realignment.
As Kano stands at this historic crossroads, one thing is clear: the political alliance that once defined the state has fractured, and the ripple effects will shape elections, loyalties and governance for years to come.