EXCLUSIVE: Kano Governor Abba Yusuf set to dump NNPP for APC

Very Nigerian has gathered exclusively that Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has concluded plans to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming days, a move that could significantly reshape the state’s political landscape.

The planned defection comes amid an escalating political rift between the governor and his former political godfather, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), under which Yusuf was elected.

Sources familiar with the development disclosed that Kwankwaso is strongly opposed to the move, but Governor Yusuf appears determined to proceed regardless of the former governor’s position.

Already, the APC controls 28 governorship seats nationwide, with speculation also mounting that the Adamawa State governor may soon defect to the ruling party.

In Kano, the political realignment has begun to take shape at the legislative level, as a large number of members of the State House of Assembly are said to have perfected plans to defect to the APC, reportedly against Kwankwaso’s directive.

It was gathered that when Kwankwaso recently summoned the lawmakers for a meeting to address the looming defections, they were unable to offer convincing reasons for their decision to move to the APC.

A senior member of Governor Yusuf’s cabinet, who confirmed the development to Very Nigerian, warned that the move could trigger internal resistance within the Kano APC, with some aggrieved party chieftains allegedly considering a tactical alliance with the NNPP to weaken the governor.

“There is intense political activity going on in Kano at the moment, and it is beginning to affect governance,” the source said.

“The governor’s plan to join the APC is a risky political gamble. Some APC stakeholders in the state are already regrouping and may work with Kwankwaso against the sitting governor if the defection happens.”

The source also raised concerns about leadership tussles within the APC should Yusuf complete his defection.

“If he joins the APC today, he automatically becomes the leader of the party in Kano State. But where does that leave the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, and former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje?” the source queried.

Political observers believe Yusuf’s planned defection could either consolidate APC’s dominance in Kano or deepen factional divisions within the party, with significant implications for the 2027 general election.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Governor Yusuf nor the Kano APC leadership had issued an official statement on the matter.

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