Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, is expected to defect from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), barring any last-minute change, according to sources close to the state government.
Multiple insiders told Daily Trust that the governor has made up his mind to leave the NNPP after extensive consultations with key political stakeholders across the state. These consultations reportedly involved members of the Kano State House of Assembly, local government chairmen and some federal lawmakers from the state.
The sources added that Governor Yusuf is prepared to make the move with or without the endorsement of his political mentor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
The planned defection gained momentum following the circulation of a viral video on Sunday in which the governor’s Director of Protocol, Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, publicly declared support for Yusuf’s move to the APC. Speaking alongside party leaders in Rogo Local Government Area, Rogo said stakeholders within the Kwankwasiyya movement in the area had resolved that both Kwankwaso and Yusuf should lead their supporters into the APC.
Rogo stated that the decision was taken in what he described as the best interest of the people, the country and Kwankwaso’s political future, adding that many believe the APC offers a stronger platform for broader political ambitions. He also urged supporters to avoid abusive politics, stressing continued loyalty to the ideals of Kwankwasiyya despite the proposed defection.
In a separate development, the Director-General of Media and Publicity at the Kano Government House, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, also endorsed the position of political stakeholders in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, who have reportedly agreed to follow the governor to the APC. The chairman of the local government, Anas Danmaliki, described the Kwankwasiyya movement as divided, insisting that he and his councillors would align themselves with Governor Yusuf’s decision.
Sources further disclosed that Governor Yusuf is expected to formally announce his defection in the first week of January.
Meanwhile, Senator Kwankwaso was said to have summoned members of the Kano State House of Assembly to a meeting, where he acknowledged the likelihood of the governor’s departure from the NNPP. While reportedly allowing lawmakers to follow Yusuf if they wished, Kwankwaso was said to have questioned the rationale for the move, recalling that the NNPP secured victory in the 2023 elections without external backing.
According to Daily Trust, Governor Yusuf remains the only sitting governor elected on the platform of the NNPP in the 2023 general election, making the anticipated defection a potentially significant shift in Kano’s political landscape.
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