Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, is currently enmeshed in a high-stakes political standoff over his planned defection from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), as talks between both camps hit a major roadblock.
Despite weeks of discreet back-channel negotiations, findings by Truth Live News from Politics Digest reveal that the national and state leadership of the APC have flatly refused the governor’s demand for a written guarantee of an automatic gubernatorial ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
Sources familiar with the negotiations disclosed that Governor Yusuf’s conditions for joining the ruling party go beyond a mere change of platform. The governor is reportedly insisting on a documented assurance of the APC’s 2027 gubernatorial ticket, the exclusive right to nominate a minister to represent Kano State in the Federal Executive Council, and the authority to replace existing Kano-based federal appointees with his own loyalists.
However, the APC leadership has remained resolute, insisting that no individual, regardless of status, can bypass the party’s internal democratic processes. A senior APC figure in the North-West, who spoke to Politics Digest on condition of anonymity, said the party would not sacrifice its standards for political convenience.
“The APC has rules and processes. Governors, ministers, and party leaders must all go through primaries. There will be no exceptions,” the source said, adding that the party’s position remains non-negotiable.
The source further likened Yusuf’s predicament to that of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, who made decisive political moves without imposing conditions. According to him, the APC applies uniform standards across board, irrespective of political weight.
Deepening the governor’s dilemma is the presence of formidable internal rivals within the Kano APC. Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, is widely believed to be nursing strong gubernatorial ambitions for 2027 and is said to wield considerable influence within the party’s Kano structure.
Amid rising political tension at home, Governor Yusuf on Friday convened the first Kano State Executive Council meeting of 2026 in Abuja, a move widely interpreted as an attempt to avoid local distractions and mounting pressure. In a symbolic gesture that surprised many political observers, the governor appeared at the meeting wearing his signature Kwankwasiyya red cap and prominently displaying the NNPP flag—an action that appeared to dampen expectations of an imminent defection.
While reaffirming his administration’s commitment to good governance, the meeting also exposed widening internal cracks within the NNPP-led government. Reports indicate that the deputy governor, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has vowed to remain in the NNPP, a stance that could trigger a major executive rift should Yusuf eventually cross over to the APC.
Meanwhile, the unfolding drama has placed Yusuf’s political mentor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, at a strategic crossroads. Kwankwaso, who reportedly warned Yusuf against defecting to the APC, is now said to be exploring the possibility of forming a “Third Force” political coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Emerging reports suggest that Kwankwaso may be considering a move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a platform where former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, are also reportedly aligning. Such a political realignment, analysts say, could significantly reshape the northern political landscape as the Kwankwasiyya movement seeks relevance and survival amid the possible exit of its only sitting governor.
