A significant political realignment appears to be unfolding in Kano State as reports emerged that Governor Abba Yusuf may be planning to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). This move could signal a major split from his longtime political godfather, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who is considered the leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
While the governor has yet to issue an official statement regarding his next move, PREMIUM TIMES understand that high-level consultations are already ongoing. The governor has reportedly been meeting with top government officials and elected representatives to brief them on the transition, convincing them of his intention and reason for aligning with the ruling party. In addition to this, he had dispatched some of his aides to the grassroots, meeting NNPP members to prepare the party’s base for the upcoming shift.
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A testament to this was the meeting between Abdullahi Rogo, the director general of the Protocol Directorate at the Kano State Government House, and NNPP stakeholders from the Rogo Local Government Area. At the meeting, Mr Rogo outlined the justifications for the move to the APC.
Speaking on the resolutions reached during the meeting, Mr Rogo said, “We have consulted with the NNPP stakeholders in Rogo, and we are in agreement that the leadership of the Kwankwasiyya movement—specifically Rabiu Kwankwaso and Governor Abba Yusuf—should lead us back to the APC. We believe that Kwankwaso’s presidential ambitions can only be realised on the APC platform. Our decision is rooted in the best interests and future prosperity of Kano State.”
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Mr Kwankwaso contested the 2023 presidential election on the NNPC platform but came a distant fourth, behind President Bola Tinubu, ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and ex-Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi, respectively. Although Mr Kwankwaso has not signified his interest for future elections, many believe that he will contest for president again, either in 2027 or 2031.
Mr Rogo stated that the movement remains loyal to the Kwankwasiyya ideology. He also issued a stern warning to supporters on how to conduct themselves during the electioneering period.
“I appeal to our supporters, as we transition to the APC, there must be no room for insults or name-calling. Anyone who engages in such behaviour is not a true member of our movement,” Mr Rogo added.
While Mr Rogo appears to want both Governor Yusuf and Mr Kwankwaso to join the APC, that was not the case at a similar political gathering in the Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area. At that meeting, one of Mr Kwankwaso’s top loyalists, who is also the state chairperson of the NNPP, Hashim Dungurawa, was absent, despite being from the local government. The meeting was organised by the governor’s media aide, Sanusi Bature.
Mr Bature shared a short clip of the meeting on Facebook. He said it was a stakeholders’ meeting of all the top NNPC members in Dawakin Tofa, but queried Mr Dungurawa’s absence. Insiders said the meeting was part of the governor’s directives to engage the leadership and supporters of the NNPP at the grassroots ahead of the planned defection.
Mr Bature’s concern over Mr Dungurawa’s absence from the meeting suggests that the governor and Mr Kwankwaso do not have a united position on the planned defection.
The Daily Nigerian reported that Mr Yusuf had been scheming behind the scenes to garner the support of members of the National Assembly, State House of Assembly, and local government chairpersons for his alleged plan to join the APC.
The newspaper stated that it believes NNPP members in the House of Assembly, including Speaker Jibrin Falgore, have endorsed the governor’s planned defection.
The protracted, silent disagreements
The disagreement between Messrs Yusuf and Kwankwaso reached a breaking point last year, November, when the governor reportedly rejected Mr Kwankwaso’s requests to replace several top government officials. Insiders said the tension eased only after the governor’s mother intervened.
The rift was first signalled by Mr Kwankwaso’s media aide, Saifullahi Hassan. In a subtle Facebook post written in Hausa. Mr Hassan suggested a transition in leadership, stating, “The exit of a military commander does not mean the barracks have ended.”
Further evidence of the fallout came from Aliyu Madaki, the lawmaker representing the Dala Federal Constituency. After dumping the Kwankwasiyya movement, Mr Madaki claimed that Mr Kwankwaso—feeling betrayed by the governor’s recent actions—plans to replace Governor Yusuf with his deputy, Aminu Abdulsalam, in the 2027 election.
According to Mr Madaki, the relationship soured further after Governor Yusuf distanced himself from two major controversies linked to the Kwankwaso family, including the mass purchase of drugs in the state. The governor ordered an investigation into a contract awarded to Musa Kwankwaso, the younger brother of the NNPC leader.
The deal allegedly involved the unauthorised deduction of ₦10 million from each of the state’s 44 local government areas to supply medicines. Governor Yusuf denied authorising these deductions.
Also, in October 2024, the governor directed the State Anti-Corruption and Public Complaints Commission to investigate the state’s foreign scholarship scheme. Although ₦4.6 billion was approved to send 1,001 postgraduate students abroad, investigators found that only 418 students actually departed, despite a substantial portion of the funds being released.
The anti-corruption probe led to the interrogation of senior officials in the Ministry of Higher Education regarding the release of massive funds without executive approval. Following the investigation, ₦700 million was reportedly refunded to the state government. Consequently, the Commissioner for Higher Education and ally of Mr Kwankwaso, Yusuf Kofar Mata, was redeployed.
READ ALSO: NNPP nominates children of deceased lawmakers for Kano Assembly by-elections
In an effort to manage the fallout, Governor Yusuf also sacked the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Baffa Bichi. Mr Bichi was accused of sponsoring a political movement urging the governor to sever ties with the Kwankwasiyya leader.
Officials React
When contacted, Mr Bature, the spokesperson to the Kano State Governor, confirmed a growing rift among members of the NNPP within the state. However, he declined to comment on speculations regarding the governor’s potential defection to the APC.
“There is an internal crisis within the NNPP in Kano, but I have not been authorised to speak on whether the governor is defecting to the APC,” Mr Bature told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday morning.
Efforts to reach Saifullahi Hassan, the spokesperson for Mr Kwankwaso, were unsuccessful. Mr Hassan did not respond to multiple phone calls or text messages seeking clarification on the matter at the time of this report.
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