Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf has resigned from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), a development set to reshape the state’s political landscape.
The governor’s decision, it was learnt, followed consultations with key political stakeholders, including a recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Sources said Yusuf and his political allies are expected to formally align with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming days.
In a statement issued on Friday by his spokesperson, Sunusi Bature, the governor confirmed that his resignation from the NNPP took effect on January 23, 2026.
Yusuf attributed his exit to prolonged internal crises and deepening divisions within the NNPP, which he said had weakened the party and plunged it into protracted legal disputes.
The move is also understood to have strained his long-standing political relationship with the party’s national leader and his erstwhile benefactor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Explaining his decision, the governor said he acted after careful reflection and consultations, guided primarily by considerations of public interest and the need to ensure stable governance in Kano State.
He expressed appreciation to the NNPP for providing him a political platform since 2022 but stressed that his departure was made in good faith, without rancour, and in what he described as the overriding interest of the state and its people.
“After careful reflection, and without prejudice to the party’s capacity to resolve its internal challenges, I have come to the conclusion that my resignation is in the best interest of the people of Kano State,” Yusuf.wrote.
He left the NNPP with 21 Assembly members, eighth House of Representatives members and 44 local government chairmen in Kano.
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“I write with a deep sense of gratitude to formally notify the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) of my decision to resign my membership of the party, with effect from Friday 23rd January 2026.
“In recent times, the party has been confronted with persistent internal challenges arising from leadership disagreements and ongoing legal processes, many of which are presently before the courts for judicial determination.
“The growing disenfranchisement among party members has created deep divisions within the party structure, resulting in cracks that appear increasingly irreconcilable and have generated uncertainty at both state and national levels,” Yusuf’s letter to the party reads in parts.
Hon. Kabiru Zubairu, the party’s secretary of Diso-Chiranchi Ward, where Yusuf comes from, acknowledged the Governor’s resignation, praising his infrastructure, health, education, and economic projects.
The NNPP scribe admitted the party’s ongoing crisis, saying “we have no option but to accept the departure of our most performing governor.”
Yusuf’s resignation from NNPP on Friday is expected to trigger a major shake-up that could reshape Kano’s political landscape ahead of upcoming elections.
His resignation comes after the party gave him the greenlight to do so a few days ago.
NNPP factional chairman in the state, Senator Mas’ud Eljibril, had urged the Governor to formally notify the “legally recognised” NNPP in writing before he joins the APC.
“If the Governor decides to leave the NNPP, it’s his choice but he has to do that according to the rules and regulations to the party. Ignoring this requirement will have future legal consequences,” Eljibril advised.
