Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State convened a high-stakes closed-door meeting with top All Progressives Congress (APC) officials Wednesday, intensifying speculation that the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader is poised to defect to Nigeria’s ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.
The gathering, held in Kano’s political heartland, included APC state chairman Abdullahi Abbas and influential House of Representatives member Alhassan Ado Doguwa, alongside other party stakeholders, sources familiar with the discussions told CNN.
While details remain under wraps, the session, confirmed by multiple insiders, marks the most overt public engagement yet between Yusuf and APC brass.
Fueling whispers of an imminent political realignment in Africa’s most populous northern state.
Yusuf, 52, won Kano’s governorship in 2023 on the NNPP ticket with 1.2 million votes, riding the coattails of mentor Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the party’s national heavyweight.
But recent strains with NNPP leadership, coupled with Yusuf’s warming overtures to APC figures, have supercharged rumors of a switch.
“This isn’t casual chit-chat; it’s defection choreography,” said a source close to the meeting, speaking anonymously to discuss sensitive talks.
Kano: Nigeria’s Ultimate Political Prize
Kano, with 20 million residents and a GDP rivaling small nations, is Nigeria’s electoral kingmaker.
The commercial hub delivered 1.6 million votes in 2023, more than entire geopolitical zones, splitting narrowly between NNPP (42%) and APC (40%).
A Yusuf defection could hand APC a northern juggernaut, bolstering President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 bid.
The meeting follows months of backchannel diplomacy. Yusuf has shared platforms with APC leaders, softened rhetoric on federal policies, and hosted national figures like Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Last month, he praised Tinubu’s economic reforms during a Abuja visit, a stark pivot from earlier NNPP barbs.
“Kano needs partnership, not confrontation,” Yusuf said publicly, drawing APC applause.
Doguwa, a fiery APC stalwart representing Kano’s Doguwa/Tofa federal constituency, embodies the outreach.
A former House Majority Leader, he’s clashed with Kwankwaso loyalists but wields grassroots clout.
Abbas, the APC chair, has quietly rebuilt party structures post-2023 losses.
Their presence signals seriousness: APC views Kano as reclaimable territory.
Cracks in the Kwankwaso Empire
Yusuf’s NNPP tenure began triumphantly but frayed fast.
Supreme Court battles over his March 2024 electoral win, upheld after INEC initially sacked him, exposed rifts.
Kwankwaso, 79, the party’s founder and 2023 presidential candidate (0.5% nationally), allegedly sidelined Yusuf in national decisions, sources say.
Tensions peaked over 2025 local polls, where NNPP swept but faced federal pushback.
“Kwankwaso built NNPP as his fiefdom; Yusuf wants autonomy,” said political analyst Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim of Bayero University Kano.
“Defection buys him federal patronage, road funds, security aid, while neutralizing Kwankwaso.”
NNPP insiders decry betrayal: “Abba rode Rabiu’s back to power; now he jumps ship,” fumed a party organizer.
Kano’s streets buzz with graffiti: “Yusuf to APC?” Markets hum with debate.
Supporters wave NNPP flags defiantly; APC youth chant “Welcome home.”
Social media erupts Kano Defection trends with 50,000 posts, memes pitting Yusuf against Kwankwaso.
Tinubu’s Northern Consolidation Play
For Tinubu, Kano is personal. The president, a southwest powerhouse, secured northern alliances in 2023 via Shettima (Borno) and oil-bloc sweeteners.
But Kano eluded him, thanks to Kwankwaso’s enduring pull, the “Kwankwasiyya” cult with red-cap devotees.
A Yusuf flip would fracture that machine, echoing 2019 when Kwankwaso lost gubernatorial control.
APC’s national chair Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Kano native and ex-governor, orchestrates from Abuja.
“Reunification is family matter,” Ganduje tweeted post-meeting, coyly.
Federal carrots dangle: N50 billion infrastructure pledges, anti-banditry troops, and Kano’s stalled light rail revival.
Critics cry inducement: “Buyout politics,” tweeted opposition senator Ali Ndume.
Economic logic bolsters the case. Kano grapples 35% youth unemployment, smuggling via porous borders, and 40% inflation.
Yusuf’s administration touts free education and health, but federal bucks flow to APC states.
“Defection unlocks trillions in budgets,” noted economist Murtala Abdullahi.
2027 Shadows: High Stakes for All
Nigeria’s 2027 race crystallizes around zone rotation, northern turn after Tinubu’s southwest stint.
Abba Yusuf, a Fulani like Kwankwaso, eyes presidential ambition; APC offers a launchpad.
“Govern well, then aim higher,” Doguwa hinted to reporters outside.
Opposition scrambles. NNPP vows retention; Kwankwaso threatens “political earthquake.”
Peter Obi’s ADC defection (Enugu this week) spotlights fluidity, but northern math favors incumbents.
APC holds 21 governorships post-2025; PDP/NNPP fragment.
Kano protests over hardship test Abba Yusuf; defection could calm federal-North tensions.
Community Pulse and National Ripples
On Kano’s bustling streets, reactions split. Tailor Fatima Usman, 38: “Abba Yusuf delivers; party label irrelevant.”
Trader Musa Garba, 45: “Kwankwaso made him, loyalty first.” Women groups rally for continuity; youth demand jobs over jockeying.
Nationally, eyes widen. A Kano APC tilt tips scales: 10 million northern votes pivotal.
Investors note: FDI hinges on stability; Kano’s textiles/commerce employ millions.
As Yusuf’s Government House lights dimmed post-meeting, speculation peaks.
Will he announce Friday prayers? Sources whisper yes. Kwankwasiyya mobilizes; APC preps celebrations.
In Nigeria’s chessboard politics, Kano’s king maneuvers.
Checkmate looms for 2027.
Hauwa Yusuf in Kano and Stephanie Busari in Abuja contributed.
