Gov Yusuf Sacks Kwankwaso Ally, Appoints Ganduje Ally as Political Adviser

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has dismissed his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Sunusi Surajo, and appointed a former adviser to Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as his replacement.

The decision came less than 24 hours after the governor announced his resignation from the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP).

Surajo, a former chairman of Madobi Local Government Council and a close associate of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, was relieved of his duties on Friday. He has been replaced by a former Special Adviser to Dr. Ganduje during his tenure as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

No official reason was given for Surajo’s removal. However, the governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, confirmed the development in a post shared on social media.

Political observers say the move suggests a broader reconfiguration within the state government, as Governor Yusuf appears to be recalibrating alliances following his exit from the NNPP.

In his resignation letter to the chairman of his Diso–Chiranchi Ward in Gwale Local Government Area, the governor cited persistent internal disputes and legal battles within the NNPP. He said the crises had weakened the party’s cohesion and distracted from governance, adding that his decision was guided by what he described as the wider interests of Kano residents.

Governor Yusuf’s departure from the NNPP has been followed by declarations of loyalty from several elected officials. These include 44 local government chairmen, 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, and eight federal lawmakers, all of whom indicated their intention to align with the governor in the ruling party.

The development has, however, exposed divisions within the Kwankwasiyya political movement. Cabinet members and senior appointees are split, with some remaining loyal to Kwankwaso.

A senior political source told *The Guardian* that the Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, is maintaining his allegiance to Kwankwaso and is unlikely to defect alongside Governor Yusuf.

Attempts to reach the deputy governor’s spokesperson, Ibrahim Garba, were unsuccessful, as his phone line was unreachable. The deputy governor has also been absent from three consecutive public events at the Government House and has reportedly attended several meetings at Kwankwaso’s Miller Road residence.

Commissioners who are yet to leave the NNPP include those in charge of Science and Technology, Dr. Yusuf Kofar-Mata; Special Duties, Nasiru Garo; Sports, Mustapha Kwankwaso; Internal Security, AVM Ibrahim Umar; Humanitarian Affairs, Adamu Aliyu Kibiya; and Women Affairs, Amina Abdullahi.

Meanwhile, Senator Kwankwaso has urged his supporters to remain committed as preparations begin for the 2027 elections. Speaking to loyalists at his residence, he warned against political inducements and reaffirmed his support for the movement’s base.

Kwankwaso called on supporters to sustain grassroots mobilisation and remain focused on what he described as the long-term struggle for political change in the state.