Inside story of Gov. Yusuf’s plan to dump Kwankwaso, join APC

Inside story of Gov. Yusuf’s plan to dump Kwankwaso, join APC

Barring a last-minute change, the governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, will defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the first week of January 2026.

Mr Yusuf’s defection will bring an abrupt end to about four decades of association with his political benefactor and godfather, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Being the lone governor of the NNPP, Mr Yusuf’s defection will ultimately erase the party from the political map of parties that control states in Nigeria.

With APC’s scheduled congresses in February, the governor has perfected his plan of participating in the congress in order to take full control of the party in the state.

And to add political weight to his camp, insiders told this newspaper that the governor had been scheming behind the scenes to get the support of the members of the National Assembly, State House of Assembly and local government chairmen.

“The only member of the House of Reps that I am certain will remain with Kwankwaso is his son-in-law, the member representing Tarauni Federal Constituency. Members representing Nassarawa, Ungogo and Kumbotso are on the fence, weighing the situation,” said a source familiar with the development.

DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that at least 25 [two now deceased] out 27 NNPP members of the House of Assembly, including the Speaker Yusuf Falgore, have endorsed the governor’s planned defection.

But sources further said the governor was also able to get an appreciable number of local government chairmen on his defection train. “A number of the local government chairmen are loyal to Kwankwaso at the moment, but I can tell you almost all of them with join the governor at the end of the day,” said the sources.

As the governor’s defection plans gain momentum, Mr Kwankwaso summoned members of the state House of Assembly to a meeting at his Miller Road residence on Friday.

DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that during the meeting Mr Kwankwaso told them that it was apparent the governor was dumping the NNPP to join APC, and in consequence of this, any member who chooses to go with the governor should do so.

Mr Kwankwaso lamented that he was not given a convincing reason why they should all defect to APC, noting that they won election when they had nobody but God. “Will the God that gave us power in 2023 not be around in 2027?” Mr Kwankwaso was quoted asking the legislators rhetorically.

DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that at the end of the meeting, the lawmakers however agreed to speak with the governor to give another chance for dialogue so that whatever political decision the governor will take, it should be taken together with Mr Kwankwaso.

A source however told this newspaper that when the members sought to see the governor after the Miller Road meeting, the governor said he had heard all that transpired during the meeting and that his decision to join the APC is irreversible.

Deputy governor’s impeachment imminent

The deputy governor of the state, Aminu Abdulsalam, may be the first casualty of the political Tsunami that may hit the NNPP in Kano.

Insiders said as part of the governor’s plan to gain the support of the APC powerbrokers in Kano, the governor is proposing the APC deputy governorship candidate in 2023 election Murtala Sule-Garo as Mr Abdussalam’s replacement, while the 2023 APC flagbearer Nasiru Gawuna his being proposed as Kano Central senatorial candidate in 2027.

Past defection plans

Since the Supreme Court judgement on Kano governorship election, the governor had making spirited efforts to convince Mr Kwankwaso to join the APC.

In November last year, DAILY NIGERIAN reported the deepening rift in Kano NNPP as the governor snubbed meetings and refused to pick the calls of his godfather, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

In 2024, a political slogan, Abba Tsaya da Kafarka — Abba, stand on your feet, or, more bluntly, Abba, part ways with Kwankwaso — had gained prominence in Kano as calls from within and outside the party for the governor to be independent intensified.

The governor, while pledging his loyalty to Mr Kwankwaso, dismissed our November 2024 report and dissociated himself from the Abba Tsaya da Kafarka movement.

Spokesman for the governor, Sanusi Dawakintofa, has yet to respond to our reporter’s call and text message, seeking response on the matter.