By all indications emerging from multiple political power centers in Kano, the state is on the brink of a dramatic political realignment that could permanently alter its power structure and redraw Nigeria’s party dominance map. DDM NEWS has gathered from highly placed sources that Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, is set to formally defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the first week of January 2026, barring any extraordinary last-minute reversal.
If this move materializes, it will not only end Yusuf’s decades-long political alliance with his mentor and benefactor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, but will also effectively erase the NNPP from the list of political parties controlling any state in Nigeria. As the party’s only sitting governor, Yusuf’s exit would leave NNPP politically hollow, transforming it from a ruling force in Kano into a weakened opposition platform struggling for relevance.
A Historic Break After Four Decades of Political Loyalty
Governor Yusuf’s planned defection represents more than a routine party switch. It signals the collapse of a political relationship that has spanned nearly four decades, during which Kwankwaso served as Yusuf’s political godfather, sponsor, and pathway into public office. For years, Yusuf was widely perceived as Kwankwaso’s most loyal protégé — a trusted lieutenant whose rise was inseparable from the Kwankwasiyya political machinery.
However, DDM NEWS investigations reveal that the bond has been steadily eroding since the Supreme Court affirmed Yusuf’s victory in the fiercely contested Kano governorship election. With legal uncertainties resolved, insiders say the governor began reassessing his political future, increasingly wary of remaining tethered to a single political figure in a rapidly shifting national landscape.
APC Congresses and a Strategic Power Grab
Sources familiar with the governor’s strategy told DDM NEWS that Yusuf’s planned defection has been carefully timed to coincide with the APC’s ward, local government, and state congresses scheduled for February 2026. By joining the APC before these congresses, the governor positions himself to influence — and potentially dominate — the party’s structure in Kano from the ground up.
This move, according to party insiders, would allow Yusuf to neutralize internal APC opposition, absorb existing power blocs, and rebrand himself as the undisputed political leader of Kano State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
To consolidate this ambition, the governor has reportedly been working behind closed doors to secure the loyalty of key political stakeholders, including members of the National Assembly, the Kano State House of Assembly, and local government chairmen across the 44 local councils.
Lawmakers Shift Allegiance Quietly
Multiple sources within the state legislature confirmed to DDM NEWS that the governor has already secured the backing of at least 25 out of the 27 NNPP members of the Kano State House of Assembly, including Speaker Yusuf Falgore. Two of the 27 lawmakers are deceased, further shrinking Kwankwaso’s loyal base.
At the federal level, the picture is more fluid. While Kwankwaso’s son-in-law, the member representing Tarauni Federal Constituency, is reportedly standing firm with his political benefactor, other House of Representatives members from Nassarawa, Ungogo, and Kumbotso constituencies are said to be weighing their options, carefully studying the shifting political winds.
“The reality is that many of them don’t want to be left behind,” a source told DDM NEWS. “Politics is about survival. Once the governor moves, the majority will follow.”
Local Government Chairmen on the Fence
At the grassroots level, the battle for loyalty is still unfolding. While several local government chairmen remain publicly aligned with Kwankwaso, insiders insist that most are quietly preparing to align with the governor once the defection becomes official.
“They may sing Kwankwaso’s praises today, but when the final whistle blows, almost all of them will move with the governor,” another source disclosed to DDM NEWS.
This mass defection would give Yusuf unprecedented control over Kano’s political machinery, from the ward level to the state capital.
Kwankwaso’s Last Stand at Miller Road
Sensing the political earthquake ahead, Senator Kwankwaso reportedly summoned members of the Kano State House of Assembly to his Miller Road residence in a last-ditch effort to halt the exodus. During the meeting, Kwankwaso reportedly acknowledged that Governor Yusuf was preparing to defect and told the lawmakers that anyone who chose to follow the governor was free to do so.
According to sources present, Kwankwaso expressed deep disappointment, questioning the rationale behind abandoning the NNPP for the APC after winning the 2023 election against formidable odds.
“Did we not win with nobody but God?” Kwankwaso was quoted as saying. “Will the God that gave us power in 2023 not still be there in 2027?”
Despite the emotional appeal, lawmakers reportedly agreed only to seek dialogue with the governor, hoping to salvage unity or at least manage an orderly political transition.
‘My Decision Is Irreversible’
Those hopes were quickly dashed. DDM NEWS learned that when the lawmakers attempted to meet Governor Yusuf after the Miller Road meeting, he made it clear that his decision to join the APC was final and non-negotiable.
“He told them he already knew everything discussed at Miller Road,” a source said. “And he said plainly that his decision was irreversible.”
That declaration effectively marked the end of any realistic chance of reconciliation between the governor and his longtime mentor.
Deputy Governor Faces Impeachment Threat
One of the most immediate casualties of the unfolding political realignment may be Deputy Governor Aminu Abdulsalam. Insiders told DDM NEWS that plans are already in motion to remove him through impeachment as part of a broader deal to appease APC power brokers in the state.
Under the proposed arrangement, Murtala Sule-Garo — the APC’s deputy governorship candidate in the 2023 election — would replace Abdulsalam, while Nasiru Gawuna, the APC’s 2023 governorship flagbearer, is being positioned for the Kano Central senatorial ticket in 2027.
These moves, if executed, would signal Yusuf’s willingness to make major concessions to cement his acceptance within the APC hierarchy.
Roots of the Rift
The current crisis did not emerge overnight. Since late 2024, signs of tension between Yusuf and Kwankwaso had become increasingly visible. Reports of missed meetings, unanswered calls, and growing distance were initially dismissed by the governor’s camp as speculation.
At the same time, a political slogan — Abba Tsaya da Kafarka (“Abba, stand on your feet”) — gained traction across Kano, reflecting growing calls for the governor to assert independence from Kwankwaso’s influence.
Although Yusuf publicly reaffirmed his loyalty to Kwankwaso and disowned the movement, DDM NEWS investigations suggest the slogan captured a deeper sentiment within political and grassroots circles pushing the governor toward autonomy.
Silence from Government House
As of the time of filing this report, Governor Yusuf’s spokesperson, Sanusi Dawakintofa, has not responded to multiple calls and text messages seeking clarification. The silence from Government House has only reinforced speculation that the political wheels are already in motion.
A Defining Moment for Kano Politics
If Governor Abba Yusuf proceeds with his defection, Kano will witness one of its most consequential political shifts in decades — the dismantling of the Kwankwasiyya stronghold and the absorption of its structures into the APC.
For Kwankwaso, it would mark a painful fall from kingmaker to political outsider in his home state. For Yusuf, it would be a bold gamble aimed at securing long-term survival and dominance in Nigeria’s unforgiving political terrain.
As January 2026 approaches, all eyes remain fixed on Kano. And as DDM NEWS will continue to report, the coming weeks may well determine not just the future of one governor, but the political destiny of an entire state.