‘Gov Yusuf’s defection beyond Kano’

Despite appeals from the national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, urging Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to reconsider his reported defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), top aides of the governor have insisted that the decision is irreversible and will be formalised any moment from now.

One of the aides Monday told Daily Trust that the decision by the governor to defect to the APC is not a Kano affair, but that of the Presidency.

The governor’s planned defection has dominated political discussions in the state since last week, with reports suggesting that January 5 was fixed for the formal announcement. However, sources who spoke with Daily Trust yesterday said no date had been set for the ceremony, explaining that the governor is still consulting widely to ensure the move does not disrupt governance in the state.

A report had claimed that arrangements had initially been made at the APC national headquarters for the governor to be the first to be registered in Kano under the party’s new online membership registration drive. Those plans were, however, reportedly put on hold after the governor was advised to first meet key APC leaders in the state, particularly former governor and immediate past APC national chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, to seek their blessings before announcing the defection.

But an aide of the governor, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity, dismissed reports of a fixed date or pending meetings as speculative.

“We have never fixed a date. It’s just speculation. What I can tell you is that the decision is irreversible and will be formally announced whenever everything is set,” the aide said.

“Those who said it was supposed to be today (Monday) were spreading rumours. There was no arrangement, no plan for it to happen today. Arrangements are in the pipeline and we are not in a rush. But arrangements have been concluded. It’s just a matter of time.”

Responding to claims that the defection was delayed to allow the governor to consult APC leaders in Kano, the aide said the governor’s decision was not hinged on any local consultations.

“This discussion is at the presidency level. Our joining the APC is not conditional on consulting or meeting Ganduje or anybody. It is not a Kano affair; it is a presidency affair,” the source said.

“It is between the governor and the president or persons assigned by the president, or let me say the party’s national leadership that is handling this move.”

He added, however, that Governor Yusuf was still consulting as a democrat and political leader to ensure he carries along his loyalists from the NNPP and, at the same time, avoids creating tension within the APC in Kano.

Why Yusuf is moving to APC

The aide said the governor’s decision to defect was driven largely by considerations of governance and the welfare of Kano State, rather than personal political ambition.

“Of course, political ambition is key, but the NNPP is no longer a viable platform for his re-election. The party only exists on paper,” he said.

“His Excellency’s main push is to position Kano to benefit more from the federal government.”

He explained that several major projects in the state require federal intervention to be completed.

“Kano is the most populous state in the country, with over 22 million people. Despite having a N1.47 trillion budget, the state cannot single-handedly solve most of its mega project challenges,” the aide said.

He cited the Wujuwuju project initiated during Kwankwaso’s administration, noting that while the project had undergone a N47 billion variation, it now required over N100 billion to complete, with the federal government’s intervention standing at N47 billion.

He also pointed to worsening insecurity.

“The banditry crisis is another major concern. We cannot joke with synergy between the state government and federal security agencies. Lives and property are at stake,” he said.

According to him, the lingering crisis within the NNPP along with the breakdown in the relationship between the governor and Kwankwaso was another decisive factor.

“These reasons are what convinced the governor to take this step, and the decision remains irreversible, regardless of pressure from his estranged political godfather, Kwankwaso, who we know has even concluded not to allow the governor secure second term” the aide added.

What Kwankwaso said about gov’s potential defection

Last week, insiders confirmed that Governor Yusuf was likely to defect with or without the blessing of Kwankwaso, a development that reportedly led to fallout between the two political allies.

Sources said political battle lines had been drawn, warning that unless a major compromise was reached, both leaders could soon become openly critical of each other.

Kwankwaso confirmed the rift at the weekend while addressing supporters in Kano. The former governor publicly opposed the move, saying he did not want Yusuf to defect, but added that “life will go on” if the governor insisted.

He criticised those he accused of instigating the defection, arguing that they should have also advised the governor to relinquish his mandate before moving to the APC.

Kwankwaso said nothing was more painful than taking a hard-earned electoral victory to a rival political camp, particularly that of former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

“I am not party to it, and I am not in support of the purported move to defect from the party. It is necessary that everyone knows this,” he said.

“Everybody knows the history. Ganduje destroyed himself and his legacy. We thought everyone must have learnt lessons from that.”

Kwankwaso recalled his long-standing political relationship with Yusuf, reflecting how he handpicked him as the Kwankwasiyya Movement’s governorship candidate in 2019 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), an election Yusuf narrowly lost.

In 2023, again with Kwankwaso’s backing, Yusuf emerged governor after defeating the APC and Ganduje’s anointed candidate.

Kwankwaso urged his supporters to continue praying and persuading the governor to abandon the defection plan.

“We don’t want them to go. We want them to stay. But if they are defiant, life will go on,” he said.

Kwankwaso also disclosed that the APC and the federal government had reached out to him, but said their proposals were not convincing.

“We sat and came up with good plans, but this party (NNPP) or movement is not about me, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso alone or my personal interest. I ask them what they have to offer us, me, the party Chairman, his excos and our supporters, but they can’t provide concrete answers to my questions.

“This movement is not about Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso alone. It is about the party, its leadership and supporters,” he said.

He dismissed claims that the NNPP was weak or riddled with crises, insisting the party had functional structures across the country and remained dominant in Kano.

He, however, did not rule out joining another party, provided he was guaranteed either the presidential or vice-presidential ticket.

That position lends weight to Daily Trust’s earlier report on the proposed pairing of Kwankwaso with the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on a joint ticket to challenge former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the presidential ticket of the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Sources said Kwankwaso agreed to consider the proposal after a meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who reportedly persuaded him to accept the vice-presidential slot, with Obi as the presidential candidate.

Barring any last-minute change, Kwankwaso is expected to join the ADC as part of broader efforts to unify the opposition ahead of the 2027 general election.

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