The Kano State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has commenced its online membership registration amid growing uncertainty over the defection of Governor Abba Yusuf, who has repeatedly postponed the date for his expected switch to the ruling party.
APC leaders in the state had earlier fixed January 15 for the take-off of the e-membership registration, but the exercise was postponed indefinitely, reportedly at the request of the governor.
A source familiar with the development told Daily Nigerian that when Yusuf realised that the Kano APC was preparing to proceed with the registration, he reported the matter to Vice President Kashim Shettima.
According to the source, the vice president subsequently directed the party’s national chairman, Yilwatda Nentawe, and former Kano Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, to hold on until the governor formally defected before launching the exercise.
The APC had initially expected Yusuf to defect on January 5, coinciding with his birthday. However, the date was abruptly shifted to January 12 as many state APC leaders were either on holiday or observing the Umrah pilgrimage.
As January 12 approached, the declaration was again rescheduled to January 16, to be announced shortly after an off-site, media-covered Executive Council meeting in Abuja.
However, party leaders were left disappointed when the anticipated declaration failed to materialise after the council meeting.
Following the January 16 postponement, the governor allegedly fixed January 20 – a day after his meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
But as the date passed, a senior party official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the governor appealed to the party leadership for “more time in order to widen consultations”.
The uncertainty surrounding the governor’s defection followed a secret meeting between Yusuf and his political godfather, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, at the latter’s Miller Road residence in Kano.
Sources said the meeting was aimed at easing tension and backlash over Yusuf’s reported plan to dump Kwankwaso and join the APC.
According to insiders, the governor assured Kwankwaso that he would not take any decisive step until he met President Tinubu in France and relayed Kwankwaso’s “terms and conditions” for joining the APC.
After unsuccessful attempts to meet Tinubu in Paris and Abu Dhabi last week, Yusuf eventually met the president on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Sources added that Tinubu had planned to host Kwankwaso a day after Yusuf’s visit, but the meeting was reportedly put “on hold”.
Despite the lingering uncertainty, the Kano APC had earlier inaugurated an e-membership registration committee co-chaired by the Managing Director of the Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Authority, Rabiu Suleiman-Bichi, and the Director-General of the National Productivity Centre, Baffa Babba-Dan’agundi.
Although a “001 membership card” was reportedly reserved for Governor Yusuf at his Diso Ward in Gwale Local Government Area, registration has now commenced across the state.