The Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, has officially defected to the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), ending his affiliation with the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
In a high-profile ceremony on Monday at the Coronation Hall of the Kano Government House, Mr Yusuf formally rejoined the party he had previously left.The move marks a significant realignment in Nigeria’s northern political powerhouse, as Mr Yusuf was the only governor elected under the NNPP banner during the 2023 general elections.
A ‘unification’ in Kano
The governor was received into the party by a delegation of APC heavyweights, including the former National Chairman of the party and his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje. The gathering also included the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, and the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata. The optics of the event were particularly striking given the long-standing and often bitter political rivalry between Mr Yusuf’s mentor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Mr Ganduje.
Strengthening ties with Abuja
Explaining his decision, Governor Yusuf said his return to the APC was driven by a desire to align the state more closely with the federal government.”My return to the APC is anchored on the need to work more closely with the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu,” the governor stated. The defection follows a mass exodus from the NNPP; several members of the Kano State House of Assembly and the federal House of Representatives also resigned from the party to follow the governor.
Analysis: A blow to the NNPP
The loss of its only governorship seat is a devastating blow to the NNPP and its leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso. For President Tinubu, however, securing the loyalty of Kano’s executive is a major strategic win ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle. Critics are likely to view the move as another example of Nigeria’s “fluid” political culture, where party loyalty is often secondary to securing federal patronage and political survival.
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