By Myke Uzendu
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State is set to rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC) today, January 26, following his resignation from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) last Friday.
This is contained in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, in Kano on Sunday.
The move is expected to strengthen cooperation with the Federal Government, accelerate development, enhance security, and improve service delivery in Kano State.
Yusuf had previously joined the APC in 2014, winning the party’s primary election for the Kano Central Senatorial seat.
He will formally register as an APC member alongside 22 state lawmakers, eight federal lawmakers, and 44 local government chairmen.
The Governor will also launch the APC e-registration exercise in the state.
Governor Yusuf, who won the 2023 governorship election on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has in recent months been at the centre of intense political speculation amid reports of high-level engagements with leaders of the APC.
Sources said arrangements have been concluded for the governor’s formal reception into the APC, with top party leaders expected to attend the event. The move is reportedly linked to ongoing realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
APC insiders described the switch as the outcome of sustained negotiations and reconciliation efforts involving key political stakeholders.
Kano has long been regarded as a strategic political stronghold, and Yusuf’s defection would represent a significant blow to the NNPP, which rose to prominence in the state following the last general elections.
Reacting to this, former governor of Kano State, Engr. Rabiu Kwankwaso has described the defection as a “betrayal of trust and sacrifice,” accusing the governor of abandoning the platform and movement that brought him to power.
The former Kano governor was quoted as saying that the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya movement invested enormous political capital and goodwill to secure Yusuf’s victory in the 2023 governorship election.
Kwankwaso further warned that such a move undermines the confidence of voters who rallied behind the NNPP for change, stressing that political ambition should not be placed above loyalty and principles.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, APC State Governors, Ministers and other top leaders of the ruling party are expected in Jos, Plateau State, on Tuesday for a grand reception in honour of Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
The event will formally receive Governor Mutfwang into the APC, marking a major political realignment in Plateau State.
In a statement issued in Jos on Sunday, the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee, Sir Joseph Ari, said national attention would be focused on the Plateau State capital on the day of the event.
According to the statement, all arrangements have been concluded for what it described as an “earth-shaking reception” that has already generated excitement and heightened political activities across the state.
“To this end, all is now set for the formal reception of Governor Caleb Mutfwang into the All Progressives Congress,” the statement said, adding that the development has charged the political atmosphere and stirred widespread anticipation among residents.
The statement disclosed that the Central Planning Committee, co-chaired by former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, and former Senate Minority Leader, Distinguished Senator Simon Mwadkon, has been working round the clock to ensure a successful and befitting ceremony.
It added that several sub-committees have also been constituted and are actively coordinating logistics and other arrangements ahead of the event.
“Immediately after the inauguration of the committee and the announcement of the date, interest and anxiety have enveloped the political space, with the people of the state anxiously waiting for the D-day,” Ari said.
Preparatory activities lined up ahead of the reception include press conferences, media engagements and road shows across the state.
