The national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has called on party members to begin early mobilisation for the 2027 general elections following the resignation of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, from the party.
Yusuf is expected to be formally received into the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday, according to reliable national and state party officials.
One of the officials disclosed that the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, had instructed stakeholders aligned with the governor to work with the party’s Organising Secretary to facilitate the registration of Yusuf and his supporters.
“The governor’s associates have been asked to meet with the Organising Secretary to properly prepare for the registration of their members,” the official said.
Another APC source confirmed the development, saying, “We’re going to receiving the governor into the APC tomorrow (Saturday).”
However, findings indicate that the Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu AbdusSalam, may not be joining Yusuf in the defection.
Yusuf formally resigned from the NNPP on Friday alongside 21 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives and 44 local government chairmen across the state.
The resignation was confirmed in a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Tofa, who said Yusuf communicated his decision through a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Diso-Chiranchi Ward of the NNPP in Gwale Local Government Area.
In the letter dated January 23, 2026, Yusuf attributed his exit to unresolved leadership crises and persistent legal challenges within the party.
“I write with a deep sense of gratitude to formally notify the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party of my decision to resign my membership of the party, with effect from Friday, 23rd January 2026,” he said.
The governor’s defection followed a recent closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Reacting to the development, Kwankwaso addressed NNPP leaders and supporters, including the deputy governor, at his residence on Miller Road, Kano, where he praised party members for their loyalty, describing them as individuals “who cannot be induced with money to abandon their ideology.”
He also acknowledged the deputy governor, Senator Rufa’i Hanga and other party leaders for their continued commitment to the party’s principles.
Kwankwaso urged members to remain resolute amid the shifting political landscape in the state.
“Given the current political situation in Kano, we must get ready for 2027, mobilise our supporters, and turn out massively to deliver votes in every ward.
“Our ideology and commitment must remain strong. Every member has a role to play in ensuring the party remains influential in Kano,” Kwankwaso said.
Meanwhile, the NNPP warned that Kano voters would not forgive Yusuf for what it described as his decision to “freely” hand back the mandate entrusted to him to the APC.
The party maintained that the governor’s defection would not weaken its political structure ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that it still commands the loyalty of the masses.
The NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, said, “Abba’s leaving the NNPP wouldn’t change the Kano political structure. By God’s grace, we believe that we will win Kano, with or without the governor. Our winning Kano is based on the fact that we have the confidence of the people.
“Again, the Kwankwasiyya Movement, which won us the last election, is still with the NNPP. So we have nothing to fear. The Kwankwasiyya also has the confidence of the masses in Kano State.”
Johnson recalled that the party had previously recorded electoral successes in the state without holding public office, stressing that its strength lies with the electorate rather than political office holders.
“The reason I say so is that in 2019, without a public officer or elected official in an executive or legislative position, we believed that we won Kano squarely. But we all know what happened.
“In 2023, it was from the same position. We had no elected officer in government. Even Abba Yusuf can testify to that. But through God and the votes of the masses, Yusuf became governor of the state. And we won the majority of the seats, both at the federal and at the state level!” he said.
He accused Yusuf of betraying the will of Kano voters by defecting to the APC, a party he said had been rejected by the electorate.
(PUNCH)
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