Photo: Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, is set to rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, January 26, 2026, following his resignation from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by the governor’s spokesperson, Bature Tofa, who said Yusuf’s decision marks a return to the APC, a party he first joined in 2014. Yusuf had won the APC primary for the Kano Central Senatorial seat that year but later stepped down for Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
According to the statement, the governor’s move was informed by “the prevailing realities of governance, national cohesion and development,” describing his return to the ruling party as both necessary and strategic.
Yusuf was quoted as saying that the APC remains “a familiar and well-structured platform for progressive governance,” adding that rejoining the party would strengthen collaboration with the Federal Government.
“By returning to the APC, we will be better positioned to accelerate infrastructural development, strengthen security coordination and improve service delivery across Kano State,” the governor said. He added that the move would help consolidate political stability and unity in the state and serve the overall interest of Kano residents.
The statement disclosed that Yusuf will formally register as an APC member on Monday alongside 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives and all 44 local government chairmen in the state. He is also expected to officially launch the APC e-registration exercise in Kano during the event.
Meanwhile, the governor has relieved his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Sunusi Surajo, of his appointment, further intensifying the political shake-up in the state. The dismissal came barely a day after Yusuf announced his resignation from the NNPP.
Surajo, a former chairman of Madobi Local Government Area and a key figure within the Kwankwasiyya political structure, was replaced by a former aide to the governor’s predecessor and former national chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, a development widely seen as a signal of Yusuf’s shifting political alignment.
The governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, confirmed Surajo’s removal in a social media post, although no official reason was given. However, sources within Government House said the decision was part of a broader political recalibration following Yusuf’s exit from the NNPP, which he accused of internal instability and persistent leadership disputes.
In his resignation letter addressed to the chairman of Diso-Chiranchi Ward in Gwale Local Government Area, Yusuf cited what he described as unending crises within the NNPP, including internal disagreements and legal battles that have weakened the party’s cohesion nationwide.
“These issues have distracted the party from its responsibility to the people,” the governor stated.
Yusuf’s departure from the NNPP has sparked a wave of defections, with 44 local government chairmen, 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly and eight federal legislators publicly pledging their loyalty to the governor.
However, the development has fractured the Kwankwasiyya movement, with the Kano State Executive Council reportedly divided. A senior political source disclosed that the Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has opted to remain loyal to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and will not defect alongside the governor.
