Dungurawa Cautions Governor Yusuf Against APC Defection Gamble

The immediate past Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano State, Hashimu Dungurawa, has issued a stark warning to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, urging him to reconsider his reported plans to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In an interview that has sent ripples through Kano’s political circles, Dungurawa argued that the governor’s political future is significantly more secure within the NNPP, where he remains the undisputed leader of the ruling party in the state.

According to Dungurawa, any move to the APC would be akin to stepping into a lion’s den, describing the opposition camp as a gathering of the governor’s political adversaries. He noted that while the governor currently enjoys an environment of total support within the NNPP, the APC landscape is fraught with internal rivalries and figures who have historically worked against the current administration. For Dungurawa, the risks of such a realignment far outweigh any perceived gains.

The former party chairman’s appeal comes at a time of heightened speculation that Governor Yusuf is negotiating a transition to the ruling national party. However, Dungurawa maintains that the governor has no reason to “jump ship” when his re-election bid for 2027 is already a guaranteed project under the NNPP banner. He insisted that if the governor remains where he is, his return to the Government House will be “automatic,” supported by a loyal party structure that is currently free of internal friction.

Beyond the tactical concerns, the warning also reflects a deepening rift between the governor’s camp and the broader Kwankwasiyya movement. Reports suggest that the movement’s national leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and his loyalists are viewing the potential defection as a betrayal of the ideological struggle that brought the party to power in 2023. Dungurawa’s comments serve as a public plea for the governor to stay true to the platform that provided him with his primary political identity.

In his critique of the APC, Dungurawa noted that the ruling party is characterized by “hostility” toward those who do not originate from its core fold. He suggested that the governor would find himself isolated in a new party where established power brokers—many of whom were displaced by Yusuf’s 2023 victory—are likely to view his arrival with suspicion. He contrasted this with the NNPP, where he claims “nobody is fighting” the governor and every stakeholder is invested in his success.

The former chairman also dismissed the idea that the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could challenge the NNPP’s dominance in Kano by 2027. He boasted that the NNPP remains the most formidable political force in the state and is fully prepared to defend its mandate in the next general election. This confidence is rooted in the belief that the grassroots “red cap” movement remains as potent as ever, provided its leadership remains unified.

Dungurawa’s intervention highlights the high-stakes chess match currently defining Kano politics. While the governor has yet to make a formal declaration, the pressure from his current party highlights the fear of a massive political vacuum that his departure would create. The NNPP leadership is clearly aware that their continued relevance in the North-West depends heavily on maintaining control of the Kano State Government House.

As the 2027 election cycle begins to loom on the horizon, the political “bridge-building” or “betrayal”—depending on one’s perspective—remains the central story in the ancient city. For now, Dungurawa and the NNPP establishment are banking on the governor’s sense of loyalty and a calculated fear of the unknown to keep him within their ranks. They are presenting a simple choice: the certainty of a second term in a familiar house or a treacherous journey into a camp of rivals.

The coming weeks will likely reveal whether Governor Yusuf chooses the “clear road” described by his former chairman or attempts to forge a new, albeit risky, path within the APC. For the residents of Kano, the outcome of this power struggle will determine not just the fate of a political party, but the direction of governance in Nigeria’s most populous northern state.