KWANKWASO’S SON, TOP COMMISSIONERS QUIETLY VACATE OFFICES AS GOV. ABBA YUSUF PREPARES SH0CK NNPP EXIT
KWANKWASO’S SON, TOP COMMISSIONERS QUIETLY VACATE OFFICES AS GOV. ABBA YUSUF PREPARES SHOCK NNPP EXIT
Kano State is on the brink of a historic political earthquake as Mustapha Kwankwaso, son of NNPP leader and former governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, alongside several commissioners, have quietly vacated their offices ahead of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s imminent defection from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Mustapha Kwankwaso, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, is said to be winding down his duties in anticipation of the governor’s dramatic political move. Although no formal resignation has been submitted, multiple insider sources confirmed that the young Kwankwaso has removed his personal belongings from the ministry, signaling an irreversible break.
This move follows strong opposition from his father, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who remains the undisputed leader of the NNPP in Kano and has openly rejected the governor’s planned transition—widely believed to be to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a bold counteroffensive, the elder Kwankwaso has turned his Miller Road residence into a political war room, hosting marathon meetings with loyalists of the Kwankwasiyya movement determined to remain in the NNPP.
Sources revealed that a “loyalty register” has been opened to document elected officials, political appointees, and support groups choosing allegiance to Kwankwaso over the sitting governor.
Several heavyweight commissioners have already signed the register, refusing to defect with Governor Yusuf:
Yusuf Kofar-Mata – Commissioner for Science & Technology
Adamu Aliyu – Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs
Ibrahim Umar – Commissioner for Internal Security (Retired Air Force Officer)
Hamza Kachako – Commissioner for Mineral Resources
Also pledging loyalty are:
Abdullahi Musa – Head of Service
Musa Danzaki – Executive Secretary, Kano Scholarship Board
Hamisu Dogonnama – MD, Kwari Textile Market
The political fracture has spread to the National Assembly and Kano State House of Assembly.
Standing firmly with Kwankwaso are:
Rufa’i Hanga – Senator, Kano Central
Mukhtar Yarima, Abdulkarim Ado, Sani Wakili – House of Representatives members
At the state level, lawmakers Yusuf Aliyu and Zakariyya Ishaq have refused to abandon Kwankwaso, while the representative from Madobi LGA—Kwankwaso’s home base—remains undecided.
Despite these defections, insiders say Governor Yusuf currently controls the majority of NNPP lawmakers, a development described by party sources as nothing short of a “palace coup.”
In a stunning show of strength, all 44 local government chairmen, their deputies, and the overwhelming majority of ward executives across Kano have reportedly aligned with Governor Yusuf and are preparing to follow him into the APC.
This sweeping grassroots realignment has tilted the balance of power heavily in the governor’s favor—despite Kwankwaso’s entrenched political machinery.
The unfolding crisis marks a historic rupture in Kano politics. For nearly 40 years, Abba Yusuf was widely regarded as Kwankwaso’s most trusted political disciple.
In 2023, 14 of the 19 commissioners appointed by Yusuf were former aides and associates of Kwankwaso. His son, Mustapha, joined the cabinet in April 2024, cementing what many believed was an unbreakable political dynasty.
Supporters of Governor Yusuf insist the defection is a bold attempt to free the government from Kwankwaso’s alleged overbearing influence, allowing independent governance focused on development.
But to Kwankwaso loyalists, this is nothing less than the “ultimate betrayal”—the collapse of one of Nigeria’s longest and most influential political alliances.
Kano is witnessing a political showdown that could redefine power structures in the North-West and reshape the 2027 political calculations nationwide. All eyes are now on when—not if—Governor Abba Yusuf makes his defection official.
