Kwankwaso Disowns Governor Yusuf’s Defection to APC, Cites Lack of Consultation

The national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has officially distanced himself from the defection of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In a press statement issued on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, Kwankwaso clarified that he was neither consulted nor did he give his blessing to the Governor's decision to abandon the party that brought him to power. He described the move as a unilateral action that contradicts the political ideology and principles of the Kwankwasiyya movement.

"I did not give any approval or endorsement for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to join the APC," Kwankwaso stated. He noted that while he remains a mentor to the Governor, the decision to defect was made without the input of the party's national leadership or the stakeholders who worked for the NNPP's victory in 2023. Kwankwaso emphasized that the NNPP remains a distinct political entity with a clear mandate to provide an alternative to the "failed policies" of the APC, adding that any member who chooses to leave does so on their own account and not on behalf of the movement.

Despite the Governor’s exit, Kwankwaso assured his supporters that the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya movement remain intact and will continue to represent the interests of the masses in Kano and across Nigeria.

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