Kano Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf formally joins APC today, registering with 22 assembly members, 8 Reps, and 44 LG chairmen
Kano Governor Abba Yusuf Joins APC Today – Mass Defections, E-Registration Launch Amid Kwankwaso Betrayal Fury
In a seismic shift in Kano politics, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf formally rejoined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) today, January 26, 2026, marking a dramatic “home-coming” to the party that first gave him a senatorial ticket in 2015.
The brief ceremony at Kano Government House saw the governor pick up his APC membership card, automatically positioning him as the state party leader. He also flagged off the APC’s e-registration platform.
Joining him were no fewer than 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight House of Representatives members, and 44 local government chairmen, all registering en masse with the APC.
Yusuf, who resigned from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) last week amid internal crises, described his return as driven by “prevailing realities of governance, national cohesion and development.”
In a statement by his media aide, Sunusi Bature, the governor said: “He described APC as a familiar and structured platform for progressive governance, stressing that his return to the party would further strengthen cooperation with the Federal Government, accelerate infrastructural development, enhance security coordination and improve service delivery across Kano State. The governor added that the decision would consolidate political stability and unity in the state.”
The move is seen as a strategic alignment ahead of 2027 elections, bringing Kano—Nigeria’s most populous state—fully into the APC fold and closer to President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
APC chieftain Ahmed Dankabo hailed it as a “defining moment”: “The decision of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to defect from the NNPP to the APC is not just a political move; it is a defining moment in the political history of Kano State. “This single action has triggered a political tsunami across the state, with citizens from all walks of life embracing the APC. In fact, Kano State is turning 360 degrees to the APC. … “The ultimate beneficiaries of the governor’s defection are the people of Kano State… Kano State has effectively turned in a new direction politically. The momentum on the ground is overwhelming… “For too long, Kano operated outside the core of national power dynamics. This alignment with the ruling party has now restored the state to its rightful place at the centre of national discourse and development planning.”
Dankabo added that even in opposition, Kano benefited from federal projects, and full alignment promises “limitless” opportunities.
The defection sparked immediate fallout. Deputy Governor Aminu Gwarzo reaffirmed loyalty to NNPP leader Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and rejected joining APC. Commissioner for Science, Technology, and Innovation Yusuf Kofarmata resigned in protest, citing “prevailing political turmoil” and threats to impartiality.
In his resignation letter, Kofarmata said: “The integrity of the state commissioner’s role rests on the ability to act without undue influence, partisan pressure, or divided allegiance. Remaining in office under such conditions could erode public confidence in the institution… “My decision to step aside is taken in the interest of safeguarding the credibility of the office and preserving my personal commitment to ethical public service.”
Three former NNPP national officers—Prof. Ahmed Rufai Alkali, Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, and Prof. Ben Angwe—issued a joint statement titled “We have been vindicated,” praising Yusuf’s exit from a party plagued by “internal disorder” and built on “personalities rather than institutions.”
Kwankwaso reacted bitterly, labeling January 23 (Yusuf’s resignation day) as “World Betrayal Day” and accusing the governor of betraying sacred trust. He denied endorsing the move and alleged coercion of officials to defect.
Ironically, Kwankwaso’s own political history includes defections from PDP to APC (2014) and back to PDP (2018).
Tomorrow, January 27, the APC will welcome another governor: Plateau State’s Caleb Mutfwang, who recently defected from PDP, at a rally in Jos—further expanding the party’s dominance in key northern states. Read More
