Kano Governor Abba Yusuf to Join APC Today, Leaving NNPP
Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf is set to officially leave the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and join the All Progressives Congress (APC) today, a member of the state executive council confirmed to The Nation on Sunday.
Sources said the Kano chapter of the APC is preparing a warm reception for the governor, who has concluded consultations with the electorate and key stakeholders ahead of the move.
The defection, originally scheduled for January 5, was postponed to allow for broader consultation, particularly with Kano’s National Assembly lawmakers, to ensure maximum support.
“Yes, the governor is joining APC tomorrow with all his NNPP supporters,” a commissioner involved in the planning told reporters.
Former Kano Governor and immediate past APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, returned to Nigeria from Dubai on Sunday to participate in the event. Ganduje, alongside the State APC Chairman Abdullahi Abbas, had formally invited Yusuf on behalf of the party’s leadership in Kano, pledging full cooperation.
Governor Yusuf, who was elected under the NNPP platform of Kwankwaso, cited the need to accelerate developmental efforts in the state as a key reason for joining the ruling APC.
However, the move has faced opposition from NNPP factional leader Rabiu Kwankwaso, who insists that Yusuf should resign from office if he plans to defect. The disagreement has created tension within the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement.
Sources added that Yusuf will be defecting alongside all council chairmen in Kano and all NNPP members of the state House of Assembly. According to insiders, the governor feels more secure in APC due to ongoing leadership crises and court cases within NNPP that could threaten his mandate.
