The planned defection of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has suffered a major setback following the ruling party’s refusal to grant him an automatic governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
Sources told ThisDay that the demand for a guaranteed ticket was one of the conditions presented by the governor to the APC leadership as part of negotiations for his defection.
However, the APC’s unwillingness to accede to the request has reportedly heightened anxiety within Yusuf’s camp and led to the repeated postponement of his planned defection, which has now been shifted more than twice.
Although the governor remained in Abuja on Friday holding high-level consultations with APC leaders, the Kano State chapter of the party denied holding any meeting with him on the issue of an automatic ticket, insisting he would join the party “at the right time.”
The defection talks, which have dominated Kano’s political space for weeks, are said to have run into resistance from key APC figures in the state, including the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, who is widely believed to be nursing governorship ambitions for 2027.
A source close to the immediate past APC National Chairman and former Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, told ThisDay that the party was not prepared to sacrifice the ambitions of its national leaders to accommodate Yusuf’s demands.
“Beyond the automatic ticket, the governor is also demanding the right to nominate a minister for Kano State and influence other federal appointments currently occupied by APC members. These are conditions that other defecting governors did not present,” the source said, adding that negotiations were still ongoing.
The source confirmed that Senator Jibrin remains a serious contender in the governorship race, stressing that the APC leadership insists Yusuf, like other aspirants, must contest the party’s primary.
It was further learnt that Governors Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State did not make similar demands when discussions of political realignment arose.
Meanwhile, Yusuf’s deputy, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, is said to have vowed to remain in the NNPP, a stance that could trigger political tension and possible impeachment threats should the governor defect.
Fresh indications that Yusuf’s defection is not imminent emerged on Friday when he convened the first State Executive Council meeting of 2026 in Abuja, appearing in his trademark Kwankwasiyya red cap and displaying the NNPP flag.
Kwankwasiyya is the political movement led by NNPP National Leader and former Kano governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who has described Yusuf’s defection plan as a betrayal. Kwankwaso has, however, not ruled out joining the APC himself but insists on firm conditions.
In a video shared by his aide, Saifullahi Hassan, Kwankwaso said he would not defect without a “concrete agreement” defining his role, the future of his supporters and the interests of Kano State.
“I have never been opposed to joining the APC, but I cannot do so without a solid agreement on the ground,” he said.
Yusuf’s appearance at the Abuja council meeting dashed expectations of an imminent defection announcement. The meeting, attended by the deputy governor and commissioners, was the 37th since the administration’s inception and held at the Governor’s Lodge.
At the meeting, Yusuf reaffirmed his commitment to good governance.
Meanwhile, sources revealed that Yusuf recently held closed-door meetings in Abuja with Ganduje and Senator Jibrin over his possible defection, with Vice President Kashim Shettima monitoring developments and President Bola Ahmed Tinubuexpected to receive a final briefing.
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