Nigeria TV Info 

Abba Yusuf to Rejoin APC After Mass NNPP Defection

Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is set to formally return to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, 26 January 2026, ending months of speculation about his political alignment. The move follows his resignation from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the mass defection of key elected officials in the state.

Governor Yusuf’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, confirmed the decision in a statement, saying the governor’s political journey and belief in a more structured platform for governance shaped his return to the ruling party. Yusuf initially joined the APC in 2014 and later defected to the NNPP, where he rose to become governor.

In a coordinated political realignment, 22 Kano State House of Assembly members, eight members of the House of Representatives, and all 44 local government chairmen resigned with him and are expected to register as APC members alongside the governor. He is also slated to launch the APC’s electronic membership registration exercise in Kano during the event.

Proponents say the defection will strengthen cooperation with the federal government, enhance security coordination, and accelerate infrastructure and service delivery across the state.

NNPP Reaction and Political Tensions

The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has strongly criticised Governor Yusuf’s exit, describing it as a “betrayal of sacred trust” and rejecting claims of internal crisis within the party. The NNPP argues Yusuf’s defection could return Kano to political forces long opposed by its supporters, framing his exit as abandoning the Kwankwasiyya movement.

This political realignment has deepened divisions within Kano’s political landscape, particularly between Yusuf’s camp and loyalists of former national NNPP leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.