The New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, last month lost the only state they controlled to the All Progressives Congress, APC, after Governor Abba Yusuf joined numerous other state governors seeking survival ahead of the 2027 general elections.
DAILY POST reported that Kano recently faced biggest political defection as Governor Yusuf parted ways with Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso and aligned himself with Kwankwaso’s longtime rival or what some people have called political enemy, Abdullahi Ganduje.
For NNPP loyalists, the governor chose shelter over loyalty, power over pedigree and survival over structure.
There have also been questions about Kwankwaso being overbearing, a reason attributed to a similar decision from Ganduje when he was governor.
In his letter of resignation from the party that brought him to power, Yusuf said he could no longer stay in the NNPP because of persistent internal crisis, unresolved leadership disputes at state and national levels, prolonged court cases involving party leadership, deep divisions and disenfranchisement of members, a belief that the cracks in the party had become irreconcilable, adding that his staying in the party would no longer serve the best interest of Kano State.
Kwankwaso, a former minister of defence, former governor and the leader of the Kwankwasiyya group and the NNPP, could not hide tears over Yusuf’s defection.
The former governor described Monday, January 26, 2026, the day Abba Yusuf, also known as Abba Gida-Gida formally joined APC, as one that should be marked in the world as a day of ‘betrayal’.
Speaking after the Governor’s defection, the 2023 presidential candidate of the NNPP, said, “Today, as the leader of this movement, I declared the 23rd of January as Betrayal Day.
“We believe that day should be permanently recorded in history to ensure global awareness of betrayal and the breaking of trust exists”.
In a separate interview with the BBC Hausa, Kwankwaso said by allowing Ganduje to raise his hand publicly, Abba Yusuf will not win the governorship election in 2027.
He said, “When I saw Ganduje raising Abba’s hand, I knew automatically that Abba would not win any election. People of Kano don’t support Gandujiyya. Ganduje lost the 2019 election, and his candidate also lost in 2023. So, Abba will not win in 2027.”
The APC in the state immediately countered this through its Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, saying, “Ganduje has raised the hands of many governorship candidates, and they have emerged victorious.
“He has supported the governors of Imo, Kogi, Osun, and others, and his backing has consistently translated into wins. Kwankwaso needs to examine the number of hands raised by both himself and Ganduje, and the resulting victories. Abba cannot be an exception.
“The hands of Ganduje are truly hands of victory. Victoria ascerta. Our party is popular in Kano; it enjoys the support of the people because of the laudable achievements through the Renewed Hope Agenda. So victory is certain for our party and candidates in 2027.
“Kwankwaso has contested against the APC in the past and lost. Losing to the APC is therefore not a new development. No rhetoric can change the trajectory of the people, and it is clear that there is no victory in the direction of the opposition party and Kwankwaso in Kano State.”
Also, the Secretary of the NNPP Board of Trustees, Buba Galadima, told Arise News that the Governor moved to APC on his own personal interest and not Kano.
“Had Governor Yusuf moved from NNPP to another platform other than APC, I would have said he moved well. But in this case, it is only a matter of survival, not the Kano people, not the peace in Kano he wanted us to swallow.
“And I want to say with clarity that this betrayal is the third in the history of the whole world, one by Judas against Jesus, the second was Brutus against the Caesars. Now the third one that ought to go to the world Guinness Book of Records, is the one just announced by Governor Yusuf of Kano.
“That’s why our leader had asked that we should declare every 23rd of January the world’s greatest betrayal day. I’m well above 75, and if I could shed tears on anything, it must have touched me beyond expression, because I don’t give into sentiments just like that.”
Asked what becomes of Kwankwaso, Amb. Auwal Musa Muhammad, the National Youth Leader, NNPP, told DAILY POST, “The NNPP structure across the federation—at national, state, LGA, ward, and grassroots levels—remains firmly loyal to Kwankwaso. This loyalty is built on trust, ideology, consistency, and proven leadership over the years.
“The NNPP cannot be weakened by political decisions driven by personal interest or convenience. Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is not a political accident.
“He is a tested, consistent, and results-oriented leader whose political journey spans decades of service, sacrifice, and people-focused governance. His achievements as Governor of Kano State remain visible and verifiable.
“The decision of His Excellency, Abba Kabir Yusuf, Governor of Kano State, to move to the APC is his personal political decision, and we wish him well. That is politics.
“However, this decision does not in any way affect Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the NNPP structure, or its political strength—either in Kano State or nationwide.
“Senator Kwankwaso is not in competition with defectors. He operates from a position of ideology, legacy, and a solid political base built over time. Political relevance is earned through service, consistency, and the confidence of the people— not by changing political platforms.
“NNPP remains intact, united, disciplined, and unwaveringly loyal to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. It is a party built on structure, ideology, and grassroots strength, not on convenience.
“No defection can erase history. No individual decision can dismantle structure. NNPP is strong, united and remains loyal.”
Also speaking to DAILY POST, a former presidential candidate and activist, Chief Peter Ameh, said that there was no way Governor Yusuf would return to power after the 2027 governorship election.
“I think those who are judging Kwankwaso as somebody who has fallen are mistaking the facts. The facts are very clear, and they are stubborn.
“The fact that in 2019, Kwankwaso put Yusuf on the line to become governor. Himself was not a governor. They relied on the structure of the Kwankwasiyya and fought very seriously to try to defeat the APC structure, including the authority and power of state; they won the election but it was rigged.
“There was retreat but there was no surrender. In 2023 they got back. They contested the election, and they won against Ganduje with all the federal might and all the federal structure and with all the power of the state, which is the federal government might.
“So what made Abba Yusuf governor is Kwankwaso because nobody knew him in Nigeria. He became governor because of the Kwankwasiyya movement.
“And as long as Kwankwaso remains in NNPP and does not join APC, Yusuf should be afraid of the consequences of his action, because Kwankwaso is the person pioneering and piloting the affairs of the conversation.
“So I believe that as angry as I can see the people of Kano, who are politically inclined against what obtains in other parts of this country, I’m very sure that in 2027 Abba Yusuf will be taught a lesson.
“Our election dynamics have changed. It has changed from people rigging, stuffing ballot boxes and rewriting results without the vote, democratic theft of electoral mandates.”
Meanwhile, the Kano State Government has maintained that Abba Yusuf will cruise to victory in the 2027 general election with or without Kwankwaso.
The government rubbished claims that Yusuf cannot secure a second term without the backing of political godfathers, insisting that his re-election prospects rest on performance and popular support.
The Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, in a statement, while responding to remarks attributed to Galadima, said that supporters of the governor should sleep with their two eyes closed as victory is assured.
“Kano operates on its own historical rhythm, civic memory and political consciousness.
“Power in the state ultimately rests with the electorate, whose loyalty has always been conditional on performance, character, trust and credibility,” he said.
However, warning the Governor of an impending doom, the NNPP, through its National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, reminded him that, “this is not the first time such a betrayal has occurred in the political history of Kano.
“In the early 1980s, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi defected from the People’s Redemption Party, PRP, to the Nigerian People’s Party, NPP, taking with him the vast majority of elected officials—including nearly all local government chairmen and councillors, 120 out of 126 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, and most Kano representatives in the National Assembly.
“Yet, the electorate delivered a resounding verdict: In the 1983 gubernatorial election, Rimi was humiliatingly defeated by Mallam Aliyu Sabo Bakin Zuwo of the PRP, finishing second. Even more telling, of the 120 state assembly members who joined Rimi’s defection, only one was re-elected— an outcome that should serve as a sobering lesson to any politician contemplating the path of disloyalty.
“History has consistently shown that those who trade loyalty for expediency, and honour for deceit, rarely escape the judgment of the people. The truth endures, and the loyalty of Kano’s masses to principled leadership will ultimately prevail.”
Kwankwaso and Yusuf tested their popularity at Singer Market in Kano on Thursday when both men made separate appearances to sympathize with traders after a devastating fire incident.
Kwankwaso was the first to arrive at the market and was hailed by a crowd of supporters and a few hours later, Governor Yusuf paid his own visit and was similarly welcomed by a crowd.
Governor Yusuf offered immediate government intervention and pledged financial support to the affected traders, while Kwankwaso’s appearance and reception served as a reminder that the godfather’s influence still permeates the state.
