Tinubu clears path for Gov Yusuf’s defection

Following a closed-door meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday, indications have emerged that the governor is set to formally defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Multiple sources familiar with the meeting told Daily Trust that the discussion resolved outstanding political concerns that had earlier slowed the governor’s planned defection, clearing the way for a formal announcement expected within days.

The meeting came amid weeks of intense political speculation in Kano, where Yusuf’s reported intention to join the APC has dominated public discourse and strained his long-standing relationship with former governor and NNPP national leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

According to sources, Yusuf’s ‘hesitation’ in recent weeks was linked to uncertainty over his political future within the APC, particularly assurances regarding his 2027 re-election bid, the fate of his current political structure and the security of his supporters within the ruling party.

Those issues, insiders said, were addressed during the meeting with President Tinubu.

“He may announce it formally tomorrow (Tuesday) or a day after because everything has been resolved,” a source with knowledge of the discussions said. “The president wants him in the APC, and the governor also wants to align with the president.”

Governor Yusuf declined to speak with journalists after leaving the Villa, stating only that he “will be back.”

The meeting reportedly lasted about three hours. The governor arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 4:10pm, dressed in a white gown (babbar riga) and red cap, and departed shortly after 7pm.

Yusuf’s potential defection has been the subject of speculation since late last year, following subtle political signals suggesting a recalibration of his relationship with the APC-led federal government.

Although the governor has publicly maintained silence on the issue, several of his aides and political associates have, in recent months, openly engaged APC leaders both in Kano and Abuja, fuelling expectations of an imminent move.

However, reports last week suggested that the defection plan had encountered obstacles after APC leaders were said to be cautious about offering firm commitments, particularly on the issue of an automatic return ticket in 2027.

That hesitation reportedly forced the governor to slow down, even as defections by some of his supporters at the local government and ward levels gathered pace.

Monday’s meeting with President Tinubu appears to have revived momentum.

Sources said the president personally assured Yusuf of his value to the APC’s political calculations, especially in Kano and the wider North West, where the party lost ground in the 2023 elections.

Kwankwaso and the unresolved question

While preparations appear advanced for Yusuf’s defection, uncertainty remains over the political future of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the NNPP leader and political figure widely regarded as Yusuf’s benefactor.

Kwankwaso has so far refrained from endorsing Yusuf’s defection, insisting that any such move must be based on clear and binding political guarantees.

Addressing supporters in Kano recently, the former governor warned against what he described as poorly planned defections.

“You don’t leave a party without getting your people ready, and you need to be ready for the people you will meet when you get there,” he said. “You don’t just wake up one day and say you are leaving.”

Kwankwaso clarified that he had not completely ruled out joining the APC but said critical issues must be resolved first.

“I didn’t say I won’t join APC, but we must be clearly assured of the future.

“I will not go to the APC blindly. I must be clearly informed of my role, the direction of the journey and the fate of our plans for the common people, including the position of our supporters and the Kano State Government. That is my stand,” he said.

He recalled past experiences in which, according to him, political alliances ended in marginalisation.

His remarks have reinforced perceptions of an underlying tension between Yusuf’s personal political calculations and the collective interests of the Kwankwasiyya political structure.

APC welcomes Yusuf, keeps distance from Kwankwaso

The APC in Kano State has openly welcomed the prospect of Yusuf’s defection, describing it as a significant boost to the party ahead of future elections.

The party’s state secretary, Ibrahim Zakari Sarina, told Daily Trust that arrangements had already been concluded to receive the governor and other defectors, pending a date to be fixed by the Presidency.

Sarina said the issue came up during a recent APC stakeholders’ meeting convened to review progress on the party’s electronic registration exercise.

“Nothing much about the defection was discussed, but the matter came up. We don’t have anything against it. In fact, we are happy,” he said. “All arrangements have been concluded so far. We are now waiting for the Presidency to fix a date.”

He stressed that the APC’s overriding objective remains electoral victory.

“Any addition to our fold strengthens the party. The ultimate goal is to win elections,” Sarina said.

On Kwankwaso, Sarina said the APC would not force him to join.

“For Kwankwaso, it seems he is not interested, and that is fine. If he decides to come, he is welcome,” he said.

However, he cautioned that the party would not tolerate internal crises, alleging that Kwankwaso’s political engagements often generate tension.

“All that we don’t want from him is crisis,” Sarina said, adding that APC control of the federal government limits the ability of any individual to destabilise the party in Kano.

Tinubu halts APC e-registration in Kano, says Doguwa

Further confirmation of Yusuf’s imminent defection emerged from a viral video featuring Alhassan Ado Doguwa, member representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

Doguwa disclosed that the APC’s planned electronic registration exercise in Kano had been suspended following a directive from President Tinubu to await Yusuf’s formal defection.

According to him, the registration was scheduled to commence on Wednesday before the directive was received from the party’s national headquarters.

“What do you do now that Tinubu said he has received Abba?” Doguwa said. “We were supposed to start the registration tomorrow, but they said we should wait until he comes and he will be the one to unveil it.”

Doguwa said party members had no option but to comply with the directive.

Despite the apparent inevitability of Yusuf’s defection, reactions among Kwankwasiyya loyalists have been mixed, particularly among youth mobilisers and grassroots organisers.

Two prominent supporters of the movement, MB Aliyu and Usman Kiru, warned that the governor’s move could deepen political divisions in the state.

They said that while Yusuf was entitled to make personal political choices, many supporters viewed the situation as beyond individual preference.

“If he goes back there, who is he going to meet? These are people we see as enemies of Kano’s progress,” they said in an interview with an online platform.

They insisted that the Kwankwasiyya movement would remain intact regardless of Yusuf’s decision.

“Even if we align with the APC, we will not abandon Kwankwasiyya. We have a system and a leader,” they said.

They also maintained that political leadership in Kano remains rooted in Kwankwaso’s structure.

“Kwankwaso may not reside in Kano and may not have a physical office, but politics in Kano is in the hands of Jagora,” they added.

History does not favour defectors – Dansadau

Meanwhile, former senator Saidu Dansadau has warned that Nigeria’s political history does not favour governors who defect in pursuit of a second term.

Speaking on Trust TV’s 30 Minutes programme, Dansadau cited several historical examples of politicians who lost re-election bids after defecting.

He recalled how South-West governors who defected to support President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 lost their seats, except Bola Tinubu, who refused to defect.

He also cited the cases of former Nasarawa governor Aliyu Akwe Doma and former Zamfara governor Mahmuda Shinkafi, arguing that their defections ended in political defeat.

“These are consequences of political betrayal,” Dansadau said.

He added that religious texts themselves emphasise historical lessons.

“More than half of the Qur’an and the Bible is history. It is for people to learn from the past,” he said.

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