Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf held discussions with President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa on Monday, fuelling ongoing speculation about his possible defection from the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The meeting, which began around 4:13 pm, marked Yusuf’s first known engagement with Tinubu since returning from a trip to Abu Dhabi, according to sources close to the talks.
Yusuf, clad in traditional white attire and a red cap symbolizing his affiliation with the Kwankwasiyya movement, has been at the center of defection rumors since early January, with negotiations reportedly stalling over unmet demands.
These include guarantees for an automatic APC gubernatorial ticket in 2027, the ability to nominate a federal minister from Kano, and authority to appoint loyalists to key federal positions in the state.
APC heavyweight Alhassan Ado Doguwa revealed that Tinubu had ordered a halt to the party’s electronic membership registration in Kano pending Yusuf’s formal switch, insisting: “The President directed that the e-registration should be suspended until the Kano Governor joins APC and that the governor must e-register first.”
The potential move has drawn sharp rebuke from Yusuf’s political mentor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who labeled it a “betrayal” and warned of electoral repercussions in 2027.
Kwankwaso’s son, Mustapha Kwankwaso, and several cabinet members aligned with the elder statesman have threatened mass resignations if the defection proceeds.
Internal APC tensions have also emerged, particularly with Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who eyes the Kano governorship and opposes concessions to Yusuf.
In a recent birthday message to Yusuf on January 5, Tinubu commended his administration’s strides in infrastructure, including new bridges and five-kilometer roads per local government, as well as urban renewal and educational reforms that boosted NECO exam results.
“Kano remains a bastion of progressive politics and grassroots development, a legacy that echoes the visionary leadership of the late Aminu Kano,” Tinubu said, hailing Yusuf’s efforts as aligning with that tradition.
