Twenty-one members of the Kano State House of Assembly have dumped the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The announcement was made on Monday, days after Kano Governor Abba Yusuf resigned from the NNPP.
His decisio followed a recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
In a resignation letter addressed to the chairman of Diso-Chiranchi ward in Gwale Local Government Area, Yusuf blamed ongoing internal conflicts and unresolved leadership struggles within the party for his departure.
Yusuf resigned alongside the 21 state assembly members, eight members of the House of Representatives, and all 44 local government chairmen in Kano.
Among the defecting lawmakers are the Speaker of the House, Jibril Ismail Falgore, who represents Rogo, and the Deputy Speaker, Muhammad Bello Butu Butu, representing Tofa/Rimin Gado.
Others include Majority Leader Lawan Hussain of Dala, Deputy Majority Leader Garba Shehu Fammar of Kibiya, and Chief Whip Muddasir Ibrahim Zawachiki of Kumbotso.
Also on the list are Zakariyya Abdullahi Nuhu of Gabasawa, Lawal Tini of Ajingi, and Musa Tahir Haruna of Albasu.
Additional lawmakers who moved to the APC are Ali Lawan Alhassan of Bagwai/Shanono, Ali Muhammad Tiga of Bebeji, Hafiz Gambo of Bunkure, Rabiu Shuaibu of Dawakin Kudu, Tukur Mohammed of Fagge, Murtala Muhammad Kadage of Garko, and Abdulmajid Isah Umar of Gwale.
The list also includes Ahmad Ibrahim of Karaye, Alhassan Zakari of Kura/Garun Malam, Suleiman Mukhtar Ishaq of Madobi, Abdulhamid Abdul of Minjibir, Muhammad Ibrahim of Rano, Kabiru Sule Dahiru of Tarauni, and Ali Abdullahi Manager of Wudil.
Reacting to Yusuf’s defection, NNPP national leader Rabiu Kwankwaso described January 23 as “World Betrayal Day.”
Kwankwaso was instrumental in Yusuf’s emergence as Kano governor during the 2023 election through his Kwankwasiyya political movement.
KanyiDaily recalls that Rabiu Kwankwaso recently denied claims that he supported the alleged plan by Governor Abba Yusuf to defect to the APC.