KANO State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has shed light on the issues discussed during his recent closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, even as strong indications emerged that the encounter may have cleared the path for his long-anticipated defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Governor Yusuf said the strategic engagement with the President focused on security challenges, infrastructure development, and strengthening Kano’s partnership with the Federal Government.
According to the statement, the governor formally briefed President Tinubu on pressing security concerns in Kano State, particularly the worsening insecurity in some local government areas.
Yusuf reportedly drew the President’s attention to the recent tragic killing of a housewife and her children, describing the incident as deeply disturbing and underscoring the urgent need for decisive federal intervention to protect lives and property.
The governor highlighted the role of the Kano State Neighbourhood Watch Corps in complementing conventional security agencies and called for deeper collaboration with federal security institutions to enhance intelligence-sharing, coordination and operational effectiveness.
On development, Yusuf outlined Kano’s infrastructure-driven agenda, with emphasis on mega projects aimed at stimulating economic growth and job creation. He specifically thanked President Tinubu for the Federal Government’s intervention on the Wujuwuju Road, describing it as a critical project that would unlock commercial activities and improve connectivity within the state.
Governor Yusuf also sought the President’s continued support to fast-track ongoing and proposed federal projects in Kano, stressing the need to ensure that the state benefits maximally from federal programmes and investments.
President Tinubu, according to the statement, assured the governor of the Federal Government’s readiness to work closely with Kano State to tackle insecurity and drive sustainable development, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to national cohesion and inclusive growth.
Beyond governance issues, the meeting has taken on major political significance. Multiple sources familiar with the discussions told News Point Nigeria that the three-hour closed-door meeting, which took place on Monday, resolved lingering political concerns that had earlier stalled Yusuf’s planned defection to the APC.
The governor arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 4:10pm, dressed in his signature white babbar riga and red cap, and departed shortly after 7pm. Although he declined to speak extensively with journalists afterward, he simply said he “will be back,” a remark that further fueled speculation.
According to insiders, Governor Yusuf’s hesitation in recent weeks was tied to uncertainties over his political future within the APC, including assurances regarding his 2027 re-election bid, the protection of his political structure, and the security of his supporters if he joins the ruling party. Those issues, sources said, were addressed directly during the meeting with President Tinubu.
“He may announce it formally tomorrow or a day after because everything has been resolved,” a source privy to the talks said. “The president wants him in the APC, and the governor also wants to align with the president.”
Yusuf’s potential defection has dominated political discourse in Kano for weeks and has strained his relationship with his political godfather and NNPP national leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who has publicly warned of consequences should the governor defect.
Despite Yusuf’s public silence on the matter, several of his aides and political associates have been engaging APC leaders in Kano and Abuja, while defections by some of his supporters at the ward and local government levels have continued.
Sources said President Tinubu personally assured Yusuf of his strategic importance to the APC, particularly in Kano State and the wider North-West, where the ruling party suffered setbacks during the 2023 general elections.