Kano Governor Abba Yusuf Set to Leave NNPP for APC, Sources Say

Barring a last-minute change, Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf is expected to defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the first week of January 2024, according to multiple sources familiar with the plan.

The move would end Mr Yusuf’s political relationship of nearly four decades with Rabiu Kwankwaso, his mentor and the national leader of the NNPP. It would also leave the NNPP without a sitting governor anywhere in the country.

Sources say the governor has aligned the timing of his planned defection with the APC’s scheduled congresses in February, a strategy intended to allow him to participate fully in party activities and influence the APC structure in Kano State.

Insiders told this publication that Mr Yusuf has spent weeks consolidating support across key political blocs, including members of the National Assembly, the Kano State House of Assembly, and local government chairmen.

At the federal level, most NNPP members of the House of Representatives from Kano are either prepared to move with the governor or are still weighing their options. A source said the only lawmaker firmly expected to remain with Mr Kwankwaso is his son-in-law, who represents Tarauni Federal Constituency, while representatives from Nassarawa, Ungogo, and Kumbotso constituencies are undecided.

Support for the governor appears stronger in the Kano State House of Assembly. At least 25 of the 27 NNPP lawmakers—two of whom are deceased—including the Speaker, Yusuf Falgore, have endorsed the governor’s planned defection, according to information gathered by this newspaper.

Local government chairmen are also being drawn into the plan. While some are still considered loyal to Mr Kwankwaso, sources said most are likely to align with the governor once the defection becomes official.

As the plan gained momentum, Mr Kwankwaso summoned NNPP lawmakers to a meeting at his Miller Road residence on Friday. Sources familiar with the meeting said Mr Kwankwaso acknowledged that the governor was likely to join the APC and told the lawmakers to make their own decisions if that happened.

During the meeting, Mr Kwankwaso reportedly questioned the justification for defecting to the APC, noting that the party won the 2023 elections without the backing of major political forces. He was quoted as asking whether the same faith that delivered victory in 2023 would not still be sufficient in 2027.

After the meeting, the lawmakers agreed to seek further dialogue with the governor, hoping that any major political decision would be taken collectively. However, a source said that when they later approached Mr Yusuf, he told them he was already aware of what transpired at Miller Road and that his decision to join the APC was irreversible.

The unfolding realignment could have immediate consequences within the state government. Sources said the deputy governor, Aminu Abdulsalam, may face impeachment as part of efforts to secure the support of APC power brokers in Kano.

According to insiders, the governor is proposing Murtala Sule-Garo, the APC’s deputy governorship candidate in the 2023 election, as a replacement for Mr Abdulsalam. In a related move, Nasiru Gawuna, the APC’s 2023 governorship candidate, is being considered for the Kano Central senatorial seat ahead of the 2027 elections.

The rift between the governor and Mr Kwankwaso has been building since the Supreme Court judgment on the Kano governorship election. Sources said Mr Yusuf initially made efforts to persuade his political mentor to join the APC, but those efforts failed and relations deteriorated.

In November 2024, this newspaper reported a deepening crisis within the Kano NNPP after the governor reportedly avoided meetings and stopped taking calls from Mr Kwankwaso. Around the same period, a political slogan, *Abba Tsaya da Kafarka*—meaning “Abba, stand on your feet”—gained prominence in Kano, reflecting growing calls for the governor to assert political independence.

At the time, Mr Yusuf publicly reaffirmed his loyalty to Mr Kwankwaso, dismissed reports of a split, and distanced himself from the movement.

Efforts to obtain an official response were unsuccessful. The governor’s spokesman, Sanusi Dawakintofa, did not respond to calls or text messages seeking comment as of press time.