Kano governor meets Tinubu amid APC defection rumours

Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf met President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, amid continued speculation that he is considering leaving the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to The PUNCH, Yusuf arrived at the President’s office in the afternoon and left roughly three hours later without speaking to journalists. The report said he is expected to return later in the week to brief the President on the issues raised during the meeting.

The visit follows weeks of defection rumours that have repeatedly been delayed since early January. People familiar with the talks had said discussions slowed after Yusuf was said to request a written guarantee of the APC governorship ticket in Kano for the 2027 election, alongside influence over federal appointments linked to Kano and the right to nominate a minister to represent the state in the Federal Executive Council.

The same accounts suggested the demands have created friction inside the APC in Kano, including with Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who is widely viewed as a potential contender in the 2027 governorship race.

Videos recently shared on Yusuf’s verified Facebook page showed him chairing Kano’s first State Executive Council meeting of 2026 at the state governor’s lodge in Abuja.

Meanwhile, Yusuf’s political mentor, former Kano governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has publicly criticised the reported defection plan, describing it as disloyal and warning of political consequences ahead of 2027. Reports have also said some NNPP figures aligned with Kwankwaso including his son, Mustapha Kwankwaso have threatened to resign if Yusuf formally joins the APC.

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Separately, Kano APC figure and lawmaker Alhassan Ado Doguwa has claimed in a circulating video that President Tinubu directed the party to pause its electronic membership registration exercise in Kano until Yusuf joins and registers first. The APC has not publicly confirmed the directive, but the claim has been widely reported by Nigerian media.

Earlier this month, Tinubu issued an official birthday message for Yusuf, praising his record in office and pointing to urban renewal projects, bridges and road works, as well as an education “state of emergency” the President said had improved outcomes for Kano students in national examinations.

Source:   The PUNCH