…Kwankwaso likely to join ADC
The planned defection of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), initially scheduled for Monday, January 5, 2026, has been postponed to January 12.
Sources said the shift allows the governor additional time to consult with Kano’s National Assembly members and other key stakeholders yet to fully commit to the move.
In the state, members of the Kano State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Jibril Isma’il Falgore, are reported to have aligned with the majority of local government chairmen, who have already endorsed the defection by signing the decamping document.
The defection is part of a broader political realignment aimed at positioning Governor Yusuf for a major leadership role within the APC in Kano, while strengthening his prospects of securing the party’s governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, the move reportedly lacks the approval of Yusuf’s political mentor and NNPP national leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is widely speculated to be considering a switch to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
When it eventually takes place, the defection is expected to deal a major blow to the Kwankwasiyya Movement led by Kwankwaso, who has warned that betrayal of the movement would not go unpunished.
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The rift between Yusuf and Kwankwaso has intensified in recent weeks, culminating in the removal of the NNPP Kano State Chairman, Hashimu Dungurawa, a known Kwankwaso loyalist. Governor Yusuf subsequently approved the appointment of Abdullahi Zubairu Abiya as Acting State Chairman, though the NNPP national secretariat has declared the leadership change null and void.
The APC is treating Yusuf’s planned defection as a major political gain, with senior party leadership actively involved in coordination. Vice President Kashim Shettima was initially scheduled to receive the governor in Abuja before the event was shifted.
Yusuf’s move to the APC has far-reaching implications for Kano politics, including stripping the NNPP of its only governorship seat and weakening its influence as a national party. Conversely, the defection strengthens the APC’s dominance in the state and enhances President Bola Tinubu’s prospects ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The anticipated arrival of Yusuf in the APC is already reshaping the state’s political landscape. Rivalries are emerging within the party, but the existing APC power bloc in Kano, led by former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has been directed by the president to welcome Yusuf and work together in the party’s interest.
Ganduje and State APC Chairman Abdullahi Abbas have formally invited Yusuf, urging him to feel free to join the ruling party.
The defection is also expected to diminish the chances of Senate Deputy President Barau Jibrin, who has been aspiring for the APC governorship ticket, a development likely to influence negotiations, alliances, and voter alignment in Kano State ahead of the 2027 polls.
