Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, is set to rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC) today, Monday, January 26, 2026, following his resignation from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by the governor’s spokesperson, Bature Tofa.
According to the statement, Governor Yusuf’s decision marks a return to the APC, a party he first joined in 2014. He had emerged winner of the party’s primary election for the Kano Central Senatorial seat that year but later conceded the ticket to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Explaining the move, the statement said the governor was guided by “the prevailing realities of governance, national cohesion and development,” which made his return to the APC “both necessary and strategic.”
Governor Yusuf was quoted as saying that the APC remains “a familiar and well-structured platform for progressive governance,” adding that rejoining the ruling party would enhance cooperation with the Federal Government.
“By returning to the APC, we will be better positioned to accelerate infrastructural development, strengthen security coordination and improve service delivery across Kano State,” the governor said.
He also noted that the move would “consolidate political stability and unity in the state,” describing it as being in the overall interest of the people of Kano.
The statement further disclosed that on Monday, Governor Yusuf will formally register as a member of the APC in Kano alongside 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives and all 44 Local Government Chairmen in the state.
In addition, the governor is expected to officially launch the APC e-registration exercise in Kano State during the event.
Abba Sacks Kwankwaso Ally
Meanwhile, the governor has relieved his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Sunusi Surajo, of his appointment, deepening the political tremor rocking the state.
The sack comes barely a day after announcing his resignation from the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP).
Surajo, a former chairman of the Madobi Local Government Area and a prominent figure within the Kwankwasiyya political structure, was replaced by a former aide to the governor’s predecessor and former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje—a move widely interpreted as a signal of the governor’s shifting political alignment.
Yusuf’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, confirmed the removal in a social media update, though no official explanation was provided for Surajo’s dismissal.
Sources within Government House say the action forms part of a broader political recalibration following the governor’s exit from the NNPP, a party he accused of internal instability and persistent leadership disputes.
In his resignation letter addressed to the chairman of Diso-Chiranchi Ward in the Gwale Local Government Area, Yusuf said his decision was driven by the need to protect the collective interest of Kano residents amid what he described as unending crises within the party.
“The NNPP has been engulfed by internal disagreements and legal battles that continue to undermine its unity across the country.
“These issues have weakened cohesion and distracted the party from its responsibility to the people,” the governor stated.
The governor’s departure from the NNPP has triggered a wave of defections, with 44 local government chairmen, 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, and eight federal legislators publicly declaring their loyalty to Yusuf.
However, the mass defection has fractured the Kwankwasiyya movement, leaving the state cabinet sharply divided.
A senior political source disclosed that the Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdulssalam Gwarzo, has chosen to remain aligned with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and will not defect alongside the governor.
