BREAKING: Kano Governor Abba Yusuf, 21 Lawmakers, Others Resign From NNPP Amid Planned APC Defection

SaharaReporters gathered that the governor tendered his resignation on Friday, a move that comes amid sustained speculation over his imminent defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has officially resigned his membership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), SaharaReporters has learnt.

SaharaReporters gathered that the governor tendered his resignation on Friday, a move that comes amid sustained speculation over his imminent defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He resigned along with 21 members of the State Assembly, 8 members of the House of Representatives, and 44 Local Government Chairmen of Kano State.

The governor, through a letter to the Chairman of the Diso-Chiranchi Ward, NNPP, in Gwale Local Government Area, formally announced his intention to leave the party, effective from Friday.

The letter reads: “I write with a deep sense of gratitude to formally notify the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) of my decision to resign my membership of the party, with effect from Sunday, 25 January 2026.

“I remain sincerely appreciative of the opportunity given to me by the party, its leadership, and members across Kano State to be part of its political journey since 2022, as well as the support, goodwill, and cooperation extended to me during my time in the party.

“In recent times, the party has been confronted with persistent internal challenges arising from leadership disagreements and ongoing legal processes, many of which are presently before the courts for judicial determination.

“The growing disenfranchisement among party members has created deep divisions within the party structure, resulting in cracks that appear increasingly irreconcilable and have generated uncertainty at both state and national levels.

“After careful reflection, and without prejudice to the party’s capacity to resolve its internal challenges, I have come to the conclusion that my resignation is in the best interest of the people of Kano State.

“This decision is taken in good faith, without any ill will, and with a continued commitment to peace, unity, and the progress of Kano State."

The development follows Yusuf’s recent visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he met with President Bola Tinubu, further fuelling rumours of ongoing political negotiations between the governor and the APC leadership.

On Monday afternoon, Yusuf was spotted at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, dressed in his signature white babanriga and red Kwankwasiyya cap, as he made his way to the President’s office at about 4:13pm.

The meeting marked his first known audience with Tinubu since the President returned from the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in the United Arab Emirates.

Sources familiar with the talks said Yusuf’s defection, initially expected in early January, had been repeatedly delayed due to unresolved demands.

“The APC leadership has resisted granting Yusuf’s demand for a written assurance of an automatic governorship ticket for 2027,” one source was quoted as saying.

According to the reports, the Kano governor is also pushing for the right to nominate a minister to represent the state in the Federal Executive Council, as well as seeking the authority to replace Kano-based federal appointees with his loyalists.

These demands are said to have triggered tensions within the APC, particularly with powerful figures in the state.

Among those reportedly uneasy with Yusuf’s conditions is the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who is widely believed to be nursing governorship ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections.

Days before the Abuja meeting, Yusuf had presided over the first State Executive Council meeting of 2026 at the Kano State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, according to a video posted on his official Facebook page—an action that further heightened speculation about his shifting political alignment.

Meanwhile, the unfolding political drama has drawn sharp reactions from the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement and former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who earlier accused the current Kano State government of enforcing a system that pressures local government chairmen, councillors, secretaries, and other officials to publicly declare their political loyalty.

Speaking in Hausa to his supporters in a video made public on Tuesday, Kwankwaso described the alleged practice as disturbing and unacceptable.

“This is something that causes pain, something that no lover of this state of Kano, even if not a supporter of ours, would be happy with,” Kwankwaso stated.

According to him, officials are reportedly being compelled to indicate whether they align with the Kwankwasiyya movement or the rival Gandujiyya faction, against the backdrop of speculation surrounding Yusuf’s possible defection from the NNPP to the APC.

Kwankwaso leads the Kwankwasiyya movement, while the Gandujiyya faction is headed by former Kano State Governor and ex–APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje.

With Yusuf’s resignation from the NNPP now confirmed, political observers say the move signals a decisive break from his former platform and sets the stage for a major realignment in Kano State’s already tense political landscape.