The political rift between Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has widened amid plans by the governor to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kwankwaso responded to the defection move by opening a loyalty register for political office holders in Kano to determine their allegiance to the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement. The move coincided with Yusuf’s 63rd birthday celebration in Abuja, which Kwankwaso shunned.
While the governor marked his birthday with top officials and party leaders in the Federal Capital Territory, Kwankwaso held separate meetings with NNPP stakeholders in Kano. Party sources said the parallel activities highlighted deepening divisions within the party.
The disagreement has split NNPP federal lawmakers from Kano. Of the 13 NNPP members in the House of Representatives, several — including Aliyu Sani Madaki, Abdulmumin Jibrin and Yusuf Rabiu — have already defected to the APC, while Umar Mukhtari Zakari publicly opposed the planned defection.
Although Yusuf has secured the backing of the Kano State House of Assembly and all local government chairmen, NNPP senators from the state remain divided. Senator Rufai Sani Hanga has stayed with Kwankwaso, while Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila had earlier defected to the APC.
The APC postponed Yusuf’s formal defection to January 12 to allow further consultations. A source said the governor is yet to obtain an APC membership card, adding that the move is part of a broader realignment ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
Kwankwaso, who is speculated to be considering a move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has warned against betrayal of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, saying “no one betrays the movement and goes free.”
Political observers say Yusuf’s defection would strip the NNPP of its only governorship seat and significantly boost the APC’s dominance in Kano State ahead of the 2027 general election.
