Julius Rone: The Standard-Bearer

of Nigeria’s Gas Revolution

Kano State’s most enduring political bond has suddenly snapped. And because things are only conclusive when they knock heads on authority’s desk, the fallout of this divorce is now being measured in the stack of resignation letters on the governor’s desk.

Governor Abba Yusuf, the political son of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, defected from the NNPP to the ruling APC in late January 2026, citing internal party crises and framing the move as being for Kano’s “broader interest.” Kwankwaso’s reaction makes this defection a study in political stagecraft.

The former governor called it a dream turned nightmare, a personal rupture made deeper by their family ties. And with reason, because hours before the defection, Kwankwaso’s son, Mustapha, resigned as a commissioner. Talk about schism in familial places.

Post defection, there was another episode of exoduses. Key commissioners loyal to Kwankwaso, including those for Internal Security and Special Duties, resigned. In other words, from this mass departure, it becomes obvious the movement’s deep personal loyalty to Kwankwaso over the sitting governor.

Yet, Yusuf’s move was not entirely isolated. The man reportedly secured the support of 25 of 27 NNPP state lawmakers to join him in the APC, a significant defection that suggests the power grab is more a calculated game than a solo flight.

Governor Yusuf appears to be attempting to escape the long shadow of his godfather so he can establish his own political identity, leveraging the resources of the ruling party at the centre. However, for Kwankwaso, the loss is both territorial and personal.

His Kwankwasiyya movement used to be dominant in Kano. Now, it faces a formidable challenger from within. He is reportedly exploring new opposition alliances for 2027.

This is a case of the teacher under dismissal by his star pupil. And since it proves that in Nigerian politics, even the strongest mentorship cannot survive a godson’s ambition to become his own man, the realignment in Kano has turned a family affair into a factional war.