THE DEFECTION OF ABBA YUSUF TO APC

After months of speculations, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has finally dumped the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Since announcing his decision, citing internal wranglings and lingering court cases within the NNPP, the governor has left many of his supporters and political loyalists in suspense. However, his departure from the NNPP did not come with the mandate of the people who voted him into office. Instead, it marked a political separation from his long-time mentor and benefactor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who nurtured and supported him politically for over two decades.

Governor Yusuf rose to power in 2023 largely due to Kwankwaso’s influence and political machinery. In the 2019 governorship election, Abba contested under the PDP but failed to defeat Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who was then seeking a second term. Ganduje himself was once Kwankwaso’s deputy and political ally before the two fell apart.

With Abba’s defection to the APC, political analysts have been divided in their reactions to what many describe as a risky political gamble. Critics accuse the governor of betraying both the electorate and his political godfather, Senator Kwankwaso. They argue that the move may cost him dearly in the 2027 elections.According to this school of thought, Kano voters who elected Abba Kabir Yusuf in 2023 did so largely because he represented the Kwankwasiyya ideology and promised to sustain Kwankwaso’s legacy of service to the talakawa (the common people). It is worth recalling that Abba once served as Commissioner for Works under Kwankwaso’s administration, during which Kano witnessed massive infrastructural development. 

By contesting under the NNPP — a party adopted and promoted by Kwankwaso — Abba was expected to demonstrate loyalty and uphold the core principles of the Kwankwasiyya movement.

Although Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has recorded notable achievements in infrastructure and governance within his two years in office, his decision to part ways with his political mentor may significantly shrink his support base. Many of those who voted for him in 2023 did so primarily because of Kwankwaso’s endorsement. Winning their trust again under a different political platform may prove difficult. Another challenge confronting the governor is the internal power dynamics within the APC itself. The camps of former APC National Chairman Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin remain influential political forces in Kano State. Although Abba Kabir Yusuf is now the state leader of the APC by virtue of being governor, how political power will be shared among these blocs remains uncertain and potentially contentious.

On the other hand, supporters of the governor’s defection argue that the move is long overdue. They contend that since Abba assumed office in 2023, Senator Kwankwaso has continued to dictate the direction of governance in Kano State. According to them, the governor has remained politically tied to Kwankwaso’s apron strings, especially in the appointment of commissioners and key government officials. Kwankwaso has also been accused of interfering in major policy and administrative decisions, thereby limiting the governor’s independence. These constant interferences, they claim, have negatively affected Abba Kabir Yusuf’s performance and authority as the chief executive of the state. With his defection to the APC, the governor is now expected to exercise full autonomy and govern without external control from his former political mentor.

The defection of Governor Yusuf to the APC less than two years to the next general elections will undoubtedly reshape Kano’s political landscape in the coming months. Kano State has a long history of political crises between godfathers and their protégés. A notable example is the rift between the late Malam Aminu Kano and former Governor Abubakar Rimi, which led Rimi to defect from the PRP to the NPP. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has now written another chapter in this history. His decision to defect from the NNPP to the APC is entirely his own. Whether this move represents betrayal of his political mentor and supporters or a strategic step for political survival remains a question only time can answer. What is certain, however, is that Kano politics has entered a new and complex phase — one that will test loyalties, redefine alliances, and determine the future political fortunes of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

 Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua, Kaduna State