The planned defection of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) is now a done deal, a top government source has revealed, despite resistance from party leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Kwankwaso, a former governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, had warned Yusuf to relinquish his position if he leaves the NNPP, stressing that the mandate belongs to the party.
“If he defects, he must vacate office. The mandate belongs to the party,” Kwankwaso reportedly said.
Despite the warning, a high-level source in Kano Government House told the Leadership that the governor’s decision to defect to the APC is “irreversible.”
The source claimed that Yusuf will move with overwhelming support from political structures across the state, including:
Nine of the 13 House of Representatives members from Kano
20 of 27 State House of Assembly members, including the Speaker and principal officers
42 out of 44 local government chairmen
“The train has left the station,” the source stated.
In a move seen as consolidating his grip on state politics, Governor Yusuf reportedly gained control of the NNPP’s state structure following the suspension of the former state chairman, Hashim Dungurawa, a decision validated by the Kano State High Court.
The source said the party’s National Working Committee erred by dissolving Kano’s state executive committees despite a court order, potentially putting them in contempt of court.t
Meanwhile, Kwankwaso has signalled readiness to work with any political party willing to offer him either the presidential or vice-presidential ticket.
“We are open to alliances, but only under terms that secure top positions,” he told supporters at his Miller Road residence in Kano.