NNPP to Gov Yusuf: Stay for the Masses

The political corridors of Kano State are buzzing with tension as the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) issued an emotional and public plea to Governor Abba Yusuf. In a press conference that felt more like a family intervention, the state party chairman, Hashim Suleiman Dungurawa, begged the governor to resist the siren call of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Invoking religious sentiment, the party leadership urged Yusuf “for the sake of Allah and the Prophet” to remain steadfast and not abandon the platform that brought him to power.

This high-stakes appeal follows a weekend of intensifying rumors that the governor is on the verge of a historic defection. Speculation reached a fever pitch after Abdullahi Rogo, the Director-General of Protocol at the Government House, publicly claimed that the people of Kano have already “agreed” that both Governor Yusuf and the party’s national leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, should lead their supporters into the APC. Rogo’s comments suggest a calculated move to align the state’s leadership with the federal government to secure Yusuf’s 2027 re-election bid.

However, the NNPP leadership has moved swiftly to distance itself from these “mischievous” claims. Chairman Dungurawa was emphatic that neither the state nor the national party—nor Kwankwaso himself—approves of such a transition. He warned that joining a party the “masses have rejected” would be viewed as a gross betrayal of the voters’ trust. To emphasize the gravity of the situation, Dungurawa advised party members to be wary of documents currently circulating in the Government House, warning them not to sign anything that could facilitate a mass defection.

The rift reveals a deepening fracture within the Kwankwasiyya movement, a political machine that has dominated Kano for years. While the governor’s camp appears to be weighing the strategic benefits of joining the ruling national party, the party hierarchy remains fiercely protective of its independence. Dungurawa dismissed any notion of a personal rift between Yusuf and Kwankwaso, framing the current crisis instead as the work of external actors trying to sow discord between the political “godfather” and his “godson.”

As the speculation grows, the NNPP has called for calm among the residents of Kano, urging them to go about their daily lives while the internal storm is managed. The party maintains that its focus remains on people-centered governance, citing achievements in education and infrastructure as reasons why the current platform remains the best for the state’s future. Yet, with key loyalists of the governor already mobilizing their constituencies for a potential move, the “red cap” movement faces its most significant existential threat since its inception.

The next few days will likely determine the political map of Kano for years to come. Whether Governor Yusuf heeds the spiritual and political pleas of his party or follows the pragmatism of his aides remains to be seen. For now, the NNPP is holding its breath, hoping that the bond between the party and the governor is strong enough to withstand the allure of the APC’s federal might. The message from the party chairman was clear: loyalty to the people must come before the convenience of power.