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.
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.