KANO — Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State, yesterday, made fresh appointments to consolidate his footholds in Kano ahead of the 2027 polls, as his estranged mentor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, vowed that the governor will regret leaving the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, for the All Progressives Congress, APC.
This happened on a day, immediate past governor of Kano, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, declared his readiness to reconcile with Kwankwaso.
Kwankwaso, the NNPP presidential candidate in 2023 and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, had kicked against Yusuf’s defection, which he described as a betrayal of the highest order, saying the governor and his political associates will eventually regret their decision to leave the NNPP.
He said in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service yesterday that Governor Yusuf’s decision to leave the NNPP came as a shock to many Nigerians, adding that he personally found it difficult to come to terms with the development.
According to him, the circumstances surrounding the governor’s exit appear unreal and confusing.
“Many people have approached me saying they believe what happened was part of some arrangement between me and him, or between me and those around him.
“Even I, on several occasions, found it hard to believe that events have unfolded the way they did,” Kwankwaso said.
The former Kano State governor expressed confidence that time will reveal the consequences of the decision, insisting that Governor Yusuf and those who followed him will come to regret abandoning the NNPP.
Kwankwaso said he was deeply disappointed that the governor “handed over the mandate of the NNPP members and the people of Kano to the Gandujiyya political camp” without any strong justification.
He said further: “When I lie down, I reflect and ask myself: what really happened? Who was at fault? Was it me? Was it the party? Were party members at fault? But I have not been able to find an answer.”
The NNPP leader said all the reasons the governor personally gave him or sent others to relay to him for defecting were issues that could have been resolved through dialogue and cooperation.
He also dismissed claims of internal crisis within the NNPP, which Governor Yusuf cited as one of the reasons for leaving the party, insisting that no political party is completely free of grievances.
“I can assure you, to the best of my knowledge, there is no party more peaceful and stable than the NNPP. And if there is any, let them hold their national convention and candidate selection processes, then you will see disputes,” Kwankwaso said.
Commenting on those who have left the NNPP but still claim allegiance to the Kwankwasiyya ideology, he described the situation as a clear case of choosing between light and darkness.
“Light and darkness have already been defined in Kano. If you want to practice Kwankwasiyya, who asked you to leave Kwankwasiyya? Stay where Kwankwasiyya is and practice it there,” he said.
Kwankwaso further said the manner the former Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, received Governor Yusuf into the APC and publicly raised his hand was a clear indication that “he has already lost the election.
“If Ganduje truly had the power to raise someone’s hand to victory, he would have done so in 2019. If he had that power, he would have done so in 2023.”
The NNPP leader stressed that he is certain Governor Yusuf and his associates will face serious political challenges in the APC and that, “even if he does not return, he will regret it.”
Kwankwaso also spoke on the future of the Kwankwasiyya movement, saying Kano still belonged to the NNPP and that efforts have already begun to build alliances to rescue Nigeria from its current situation.
I’m open to reconciliation with Kwankwaso — Ganduje
However, Ganduje has said he is not ruling out the possibility of reconciling with Kwankwaso.
Speaking in an interview with BBC on Yusuf’s defection, Ganduje said, as a Muslim, he cannot shut the door against reconciliation, describing Kwankwaso as a brother and long-time political associate.
He said: “As a Muslim, there is no person you would say you don’t want to reconcile with, it’s politics. So, we hope that in the future, we can reconcile with him completely because we have been in politics together and we are brothers.
“There is no doubt about that. We are happy with this and we are excited. He (the governor) is also happy that he has come.
“The party leadership are all temporary. Because by the end of February, the party leadership will be decided from the ward, local government, state, zone to the national level. When the time comes, we will see how all parties will have their people in it (represented in the composition).
“Before, we had our differences but now we are together. We have buried our differences. The task before us now is how to bring about the development of Kano State, achieve success in this party.
“If he succeeds, we succeed. If we succeed, he succeeds. If we fail, he fails. You see, we must help the government succeed because if it succeeds, we succeed.”
Sharing formula
On an alleged 60% – 40% sharing formula speculated to be issued to the governor, Ganduje said: “It is the national party that comes out with this kind of arrangement but until now, we don’t have anything of such or received any written evidence of such arrangement. But all this will not cause any trouble.”
Gov Yusuf makes fresh appointments
Meanwhile, Governor Yusuf has approved a fresh round of appointments and promotions aimed at strengthening governance and improving service delivery across critical sectors of the state.
The approvals were announced in a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature, yesterday.
Among those appointed is Abdulkadir Balarabe Kankarofi, who was named Special Adviser on Humanitarian Affairs in the Office of the Executive Governor. He was previously the Senior Special Assistant on Protocol to the governor.
Also appointed is Hajia Aisha Tamburawa as Special Adviser to the Governor on Positive Propaganda. Until her new role, she served as a Supervisory Councillor in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area.
In the water sector, Engr. Mukhtar Yusuf was promoted to Managing Director of the Water Resources Engineering and Construction Agency, WRECA, having previously served as the agency’s Deputy Managing Director. Zakari Usman Balan was appointed as the new Deputy Managing Director of WRECA.
Governor Yusuf also approved the appointment of Dr. Mukhtar Bello Maisudan as Executive Secretary of Kano State Scholarship Board. Dr. Maisudan is a senior lecturer at Bayero University, Kano.
Similarly, Engr. Abba Kankarofi was promoted to Managing Director of the Kano Road and Maintenance Agency, KARMA, from his former position as deputy managing director.
In another appointment, Musayyib Kawu Ungoggo was named Managing Director of the Kano Zoological Garden.
Ungoggo had previously served in several political capacities, including as a councillor and senior special reporter.
The governor charged the newly appointed and promoted officials to justify the confidence reposed in them through dedication, transparency and commitment to the people of Kano State.
He reiterated that his administration remains focused on strengthening institutions and delivering people-oriented governance in line with the objectives of the Kano First Agenda.
Kwankwaso’s pedigree
Kwankwaso remains one of the most influential politicians in Northern Nigeria, particularly due to his strong appeal among young people.
Observers note that since the era of Malam Aminu Kano, no other Northern politician has successfully built a named political ideology with such a loyal mass following as Kwankwaso.
Kwankwaso is the leader of the Kwankwasiyya political movement, whose followers are known for wearing red caps.
After completing his tenure as governor, Kwankwaso supported his deputy, Ganduje, as his successor. However, they soon fell out and parted ways.
This led Kwankwaso to field Abba Yusuf against Ganduje during the 2019 governorship election, which Yusuf lost after a controversial supplementary election in Gama Local Government Area.
Kwankwaso again sponsored Yusuf in the subsequent 2023 election, where he defeated Nasiri Gawuna, the candidate of Ganduje, to become Kano State governor.
Governor Abba Yusuf formally defected to APC on Monday, January 26, 2026, following his resignation from the NNPP on Friday, January 23. His exit came less than three years after winning the Kano governorship election on the platform of the NNPP.
VANGUARD.
