Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has removed his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Sunusi Surajo, from office, a day after announcing his resignation from the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), further intensifying political tensions in the state.
Surajo, a former chairman of Madobi Local Government Area and a key figure within the Kwankwasiyya political movement, was replaced by a former aide to the governor’s predecessor and ex-national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje. The move is widely seen as a strong signal of the governor’s shifting political direction.
The governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, confirmed the development via a social media post but did not state the reasons for Surajo’s removal.
Sources at the Government House said the decision is part of a broader political realignment following Yusuf’s exit from the NNPP, a party he accused of persistent internal crises and leadership disputes.
In his resignation letter to the chairman of Diso-Chiranchi Ward in Gwale Local Government Area, Yusuf said he left the NNPP to safeguard the collective interests of Kano residents amid what he described as unending internal conflicts within the party.
According to him, ongoing disagreements and legal battles have weakened the party’s cohesion and distracted it from its responsibilities to the people.
Yusuf’s departure from the NNPP has triggered widespread defections, with 44 local government chairmen, 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly and eight federal lawmakers publicly declaring their loyalty to the governor.
However, the mass exit has also deepened divisions within the Kwankwasiyya movement, leaving the state government sharply split.
A senior political source disclosed that the Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, has remained loyal to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and will not defect alongside the governor.
Political observers have also noted the deputy governor’s absence from three consecutive official engagements at the Government House, while he has reportedly attended several meetings at Kwankwaso’s residence on Miller Road, Kano.
Commissioners back NNPP
Meanwhile, several commissioners and top government officials have chosen to remain with the NNPP.
Those staying back include the commissioners for science and technology, Dr Yusuf Kofar-Mata; special duties, Nasiru Garo; sports, Mustapha Kwankwaso; internal security, AVM Ibrahim Umar (retd.); humanitarian affairs, Adamu Kibiya; and women affairs, Amina Abdullahi.
Addressing supporters in Kano, Senator Kwankwaso urged his followers to prepare for a tough political contest ahead of the 2027 general elections and remain committed despite the wave of defections.
He called on party loyalists to stay true to progressive ideals, warning against abandoning principles for personal gain, and described the struggle as difficult but worth sustaining.
