Former presidential candidate and leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, remains stunned by the recent defection of Governor Abba Yusuf to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The development has left Kwankwaso, who leads the Kwankwasiyya Movement, struggling to come to terms with the political shift. He expressed disbelief over Yusuf’s move, suggesting that the governor may one day regret leaving the NNPP, the platform that helped him rise to power.
“Many people I spoke to wondered if this was some arrangement between him and me or others. I still find it hard to believe that events are unfolding this way. When I reflect, I ask: what really happened? Was it me, the party, or party members at fault? I still do not have an answer,” Kwankwaso said in an interview with BBC Hausa.
He also voiced disappointment that Governor Yusuf “handed over the mandate of NNPP members and the people of Kano to the Gandujiyya political camp” without sufficient justification. Yusuf, for his part, cited internal crises within NNPP and the need to protect the broader interests of Kano residents as key reasons for his defection.
In related comments, former APC National Chairman and two-term governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, told BBC that he would not shut the door on reconciliation, describing Kwankwaso as a brother and long-time political associate.
“As a Muslim, is there anyone you would refuse to reconcile with? Politics aside, we hope to reconcile fully with him in the future. We have been in politics together, and we are brothers. We are happy with this development, and the governor is also pleased with his move,” Ganduje said.
He added that APC’s leadership is transitional, with positions to be determined from ward to national levels by the end of February, ensuring representation from various factions.
Meanwhile, Governor Yusuf has approved a fresh set of appointments and promotions across key sectors of Kano State, marking his first major administrative moves since joining APC. The appointments were announced in a statement by Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Director-General of Media and Publicity, Government House, Kano.
Kwankwaso’s claim that he remains “shocked” by Governor Abba Yusuf’s defection to the APC is, frankly, difficult to take seriously.
In Nigerian political history, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso is widely reputed for abandoning allies and benefactors once their usefulness expires. From the late Abubakar Rimi, whose political structure helped shape his rise, to other prominent leaders such as Atiku Abubakar and key northern stakeholders, Kwankwaso’s record reflects a pattern of transactional loyalty.
What is unfolding today is not shock — it is the discomfort of a political godfather losing control.
For months, credible political sources have reported Kwankwaso’s own backchannel negotiations with the APC, driven not by ideology or public interest, but by what many describe as excessive demands, including insistence on the Vice Presidential slot for 2027.
The APC, however, operates on structured loyalty and is not expected to discard a working Vice President without compelling justification.
Kwankwaso was reportedly offered other dignified roles, yet declined, choosing ambition over accommodation.
Governor Abba Yusuf’s decision, by contrast, appears grounded in governance, not ego. Kano State requires federal alignment to secure sustainable development, strategic projects, and national cooperation. Yusuf’s move was not conditioned on personal bargaining or written agreements, which the APC reportedly viewed as unpatriotic and purely transactional.
Ultimately, Yusuf’s loyalty must be to the people of Kano, not to any individual’s emotional manipulation or political proprietorship.
The real story here is simple: one leader chose Kano’s future, while another is bitter that politics cannot be owned forever.
Headlinenews.news Special report.
