Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, is set to formally defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, according to sources familiar with the development.
Yusuf, currently the only sitting governor elected on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), is said to be in Abuja for final consultations and arrangements ahead of the defection.
Sources disclosed that Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, are expected to receive the governor during the formal process in the Federal Capital Territory.
Preparations are already underway within the APC in Kano. Ganduje, a former governor of the state and APC national leader, was reportedly recalled from an overseas trip, while the state party chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, was asked to cut short his lesser Hajj to facilitate Yusuf’s formal registration into the party.
The APC membership card is expected to be issued to the governor at his Diso Ward in Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State.
The governor is also expected to meet with Ganduje later in the week to discuss strategies for strengthening the APC’s position in Kano ahead of future political contests.
However, sources revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was initially hesitant to accept Yusuf’s defection without the inclusion of his political godfather and NNPP leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who commands a strong grassroots following in Kano and parts of northern Nigeria.
“The president initially insisted that the governor’s defection would only be accepted alongside Kwankwaso.
But after several attempts to persuade Kwankwaso failed, Governor Hope Uzodinma intervened and convinced the president to accept Yusuf’s defection alone,” a source told DDM.
In the days leading up to the planned defection, local government political caucuses across Kano reportedly intensified pressure on Yusuf, publicly aligning with him and urging him to lead them into the APC.
Yusuf’s move, however, has triggered significant backlash within the Kwankwasiyya political movement.
Many loyalists of Kwankwaso have criticised the governor’s decision, describing it as a betrayal of the political structure that brought him to power, while reaffirming their loyalty to the former Kano governor.
The development marks a major realignment in Kano’s political landscape and is expected to have far-reaching implications for party politics in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.