Tension has deepened between Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, and the leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
The disagreement is linked to Governor Yusuf’s reported plan to dump the NNPP for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The move has widened cracks within the party and shaken its structure in Kano State.
Following reports of the planned defection, Kwankwaso began moves to test loyalty within the party.
He reportedly opened a register to identify political office holders who still align with his leadership and the Kwankwasiyya movement.
This action came at a symbolic time. While Governor Yusuf marked his 63rd birthday in Abuja with top government officials and party leaders, Kwankwaso stayed away.
Instead, he held meetings at his residence in Kano with NNPP stakeholders and core members of the Kwankwasiyya movement.
The parallel activities reflected the growing divide.
The crisis has since spilled into the National Assembly. Lawmakers elected on the NNPP platform from Kano are now split over the governor’s defection plan.
Governor Yusuf is said to enjoy the backing of the entire 40-member Kano State House of Assembly. He also reportedly has the support of all 44 local government chairmen in the state. This support strengthens his position ahead of a possible move to the APC.
However, the situation is different at the federal level.
Kano State has 21 members in the House of Representatives. Thirteen of them were elected under the NNPP. Not all of them are willing to follow the governor into the APC.
Umar Mukhtari Zakari, who represents Tarauni constituency, has openly opposed the defection. He has remained loyal to the NNPP and Kwankwaso.
On the other hand, several NNPP lawmakers have already crossed over to the APC. They include Aliyu Sani Madaki, Abdulmumin Jibrin, Yusuf Rabiu, and Sani Abdullahi. Kabiru Usman, who won a rerun election under the NNPP, has also joined the APC. Sagir Ibrahim Koki has made the same move.
The planned defection of Governor Yusuf was initially expected to take place earlier. The event was to be hosted by the APC leadership, with Vice President Kashim Shettima and party chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, expected to receive him.
However, the ceremony was postponed.
APC insiders say the delay was to allow more consultations. The party is still engaging lawmakers and key stakeholders from Kano who are yet to fully align with the move.
Despite the speculation, a close aide of the governor said Yusuf has not completed the formal process. He is yet to register at his ward or collect an APC membership card.
The defection plan is seen as part of a broader political strategy. It could position Yusuf as a major force within the APC in Kano. It may also strengthen his chances ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
Kwankwaso has strongly rejected the move.
There are reports that the former governor may be considering a new political platform in response. He is being linked with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), although no official statement has been made.
Kwankwaso has also warned that betrayal of the Kwankwasiyya movement will not go unchallenged. His stance has further hardened the lines within the NNPP.
The crisis has already led to leadership changes within the party in Kano. Hashimu Dungurawa, a known Kwankwaso loyalist, was removed as state chairman. Governor Yusuf appointed Abdullahi Zubairu Abiya as acting chairman.
A Kano State High Court later upheld Dungurawa’s suspension and restrained him from parading himself as chairman, pending the outcome of the case.
However, the NNPP national leadership rejected the change. The party described the new leadership as illegal. It went further to dissolve all executive committees at ward, local government, and state levels indefinitely.
The APC, on its part, sees Yusuf’s possible defection as a major political gain. Losing Yusuf would leave the NNPP without a sitting governor and weaken its national standing.
For the APC, the move could boost its dominance in Kano and improve its chances ahead of the 2027 general election.
Key APC figures in the state have welcomed the development. Former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin have expressed readiness to work with Yusuf. The state APC chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, has also urged the governor to feel at home in the party.
However, Yusuf’s arrival could trigger internal competition within the APC.
Barau Jibrin, who represents Kano North, is believed to have his own governorship ambition. Yusuf’s entry may affect existing calculations, alliances, and negotiations within the party.
Senator Rufai Sani Hanga of Kano Central has remained with the NNPP and continues to align with Kwankwaso. Meanwhile, Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila of Kano South had earlier defected to the APC and is no longer part of the Kwankwaso camp.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.