NNPP leader Rabiu Kwankwaso has lambasted Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf over defection rumors to APC, accusing him of handing power back to Abdullahi Ganduje after Kwankwasiyya's 2023 electoral "rescue" of Kano. Speaking amid internal party purges, Kwankwaso rallied lawmakers against the move now postponed to January 12, warning it undermines NNPP's lone gubernatorial stronghold.
Yusuf's rumored APC switch welcomed by Ganduje and state chairman Abdullahi Abbas has split Kwankwasiyya ranks, triggering Hashimu Dungurawa's expulsion as chairman and Abdullahi Abiya's acting appointment. Kwankwaso rejected unauthorized narratives, demanding Yusuf drop governorship ambitions if defecting, as APC eyes 2027 dominance in Kano.
The rift coincides with Kwankwaso's ADC talks alongside Atiku and Obi, positioning NNPP collapse as opposition fragmentation favoring Tinubu per Dele Momodu's warnings. Yusuf consults federal lawmakers for endorsements, while Tinubu directs Ganduje to ensure unity post-defection.
Kwankwaso framed betrayal sharply: "If APC has 30 governors, why take our only one?" Assembly Speaker Jibril Falgore and LGA chairs back Yusuf, reshaping Kano politics amid Wike-Fubara Rivers feuds and national insecurity like Delta raids.The saga tests Tinubu's South-North consolidation ahead of 2027.