By Ghazali Ibrahim
Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is expected to formally join the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, following his resignation from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) amid deepening internal divisions and political tensions.
Governor Yusuf formally resigned his NNPP membership with effect from January 23, 2026, ending weeks of speculation about his political future.
The resignation letter, addressed to the NNPP leadership at the ward level in Kano, marked the culmination of a long-anticipated departure that many political observers say will reshape the state’s political landscape.
Sources say the governor, along with a substantial number of lawmakers and local council leaders, is set to be received into the APC in a ceremony scheduled for Monday. Party faithful and officials of the ruling party have been mobilising in preparation for the event, which supporters say will enhance the APC’s influence in northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yusuf’s decision to quit the NNPP was officially communicated through his spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, who released the governor’s letter of resignation.
In the letter, Yusuf expressed gratitude to the NNPP for providing him with a political platform since 2022 but said ongoing internal crises and divisions within the party made it untenable for him to remain.
The mass resignation has already triggered significant ripple effects in Kano politics: at least 21 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives and 44 local government chairmen also stepped down from the NNPP, further eroding the party’s state structure.
Not everyone has welcomed the move. The NNPP’s National Working Committee criticised Yusuf’s departure as a “cold betrayal of a sacred trust,” arguing that the party was not as unstable as claimed and rejecting the governor’s explanation. Party leaders maintain that the NNPP still enjoys grassroots support and can remain competitive in upcoming elections.
Political analysts say Yusuf’s anticipated defection could significantly strengthen the APC’s hold in Kano, a key northern battleground, while altering internal calculations for local and national political contests in the months ahead.
Supporters of the governor and APC members are expected to gather for the formal reception ceremony, which marks a high-profile climax to one of Nigeria’s most closely watched political realignments of 2026.
