Kano Power Shift: Governor Yusuf Secures Key Backing for APC Move

In a major realignment of northern Nigeria’s political landscape, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has successfully secured the support of a majority of the state’s political heavyweight figures ahead of his planned defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The move, which marks a definitive break between the Governor and his long-time mentor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has reportedly seen a significant portion of the influential “Kwankwasiyya” movement shift its allegiance. Sources within the Government House indicate that the formal transition, originally slated for early January, is now scheduled for January 12 to finalize logistics for a “clean break” from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

The split has triggered a defensive maneuver from Kwankwaso, who has reportedly opened a “loyalty register” at his Miller Road residence to document those willing to remain within the NNPP fold. As of Monday, Senator Rufa’i Sani Hanga (Kano Central) and three House of Representatives members—Mukhtar Yarima, Abdulkarim Ado, and Sani Wakili—have publicly signed the register, reaffirming their fidelity to the former Governor. However, their numbers are dwarfed by the coalition forming behind Governor Yusuf, which reportedly includes 21 members of the House of Representatives, encompassing both NNPP defectors and existing APC lawmakers like Ado Doguwa.

Within the Kano State House of Assembly, the shift is equally pronounced. While a small handful of legislators like Yusuf Aliyu and Zakariyya Ishaq remain with Kwankwaso, the majority of the 25 NNPP members have signaled their readiness to follow the Governor into the APC. Grassroots support appears to have swung even more decisively, with all 44 local government chairpersons, their deputies, and ward-level executives reportedly opting for the move. Key support groups, including “Lafiya Jari” and the Community Reorientation Committee (CRC), have also abandoned the NNPP structure in favor of Yusuf’s new political direction.

Supporters of the Governor argue that the defection is a necessary step to “liberate” the administration from Kwankwaso’s perceived overbearing influence, allowing Yusuf to govern without external interference. Conversely, critics have labeled the move as the “ultimate betrayal” of the political struggle that brought the NNPP to power in 2023. This realignment is expected to have far-reaching consequences for the 2027 general elections, as it potentially strips the NNPP of its only governorship seat and its primary power base, leaving Kwankwaso to navigate an increasingly isolated political path.

The strategic shift is also fueling rumors of a cabinet reshuffle, with reports suggesting that former Speaker Kabiru Alhassan Rurum is being positioned as a potential Deputy Governor candidate to balance regional interests within the APC. As the January 12 deadline approaches, Kano remains the center of intense political bartering, with the dissolution of the “Option A” PDP splinter group into Yusuf’s camp further cementing the Governor’s new-found dominance. The coming days will determine if this “palace coup” truly ends the decades-long Kwankwasiyya hegemony in Nigeria’s most populous northern state.