Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is currently locked in a high-stakes political standoff over his planned defection from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Politics Digest reports.

Despite weeks of back-channel negotiations, the top hierarchy of the APC at both state and national levels has refused to grant the governor’s demand for a written guarantee of an automatic gubernatorial ticket for the 2027 elections.

Sources close to the negotiations told Politics Digest exclusively that Governor Yusuf is seeking more than just a change of party. His conditions for defection reportedly include a documented assurance of an automatic 2027 gubernatorial ticket, the right to nominate a minister to represent Kano State in the Federal Executive Council, and the authority to replace current Kano-based federal appointees with his own loyalists.

However, the APC leadership has remained firm, insisting that no backdoor negotiations will supersede party primary processes. A leading APC figure in the North-West, who spoke to Politics Digest on the condition of anonymity, said the party would not compromise its standards for any defector.

According to the source, the situation facing Governor Yusuf is similar to that of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, who took bold political steps without making such demands. The source stressed that the APC operates a uniform standard, adding that whether one is a governor or a minister, everyone must pass through the party’s democratic process.

Compounding the governor’s dilemma is the presence of powerful internal rivals within the APC. The Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, is widely believed to harbour strong gubernatorial ambitions for 2027 and commands significant influence within the Kano APC structure.

Meanwhile, in a move widely interpreted as an attempt to avoid local distractions and mounting political pressure in Kano, Governor Yusuf convened the first State Executive Council meeting of 2026 in Abuja on Friday. Notably, he appeared at the meeting wearing his trademark Kwankwasiyya red cap and prominently displaying the NNPP flag, a gesture that appeared to frustrate those expecting a public declaration of defection.

While the governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to good governance, the meeting also exposed widening internal cracks. His deputy, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has reportedly vowed to remain in the NNPP, a stance that could set the stage for a major executive fallout should Yusuf eventually leave the party.

As the governor weighs his options, his political mentor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is also confronting a strategic crossroads. Having reportedly warned Yusuf against joining the APC, Kwankwaso is now said to be exploring the formation of a “Third Force” political coalition.

Emerging reports indicate that Kwankwaso may be considering a move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a platform where former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, are also reportedly aligning ahead of the 2027 elections. Such a realignment would mark a significant shift in the northern political landscape, as the Kwankwasiyya movement seeks relevance and survival amid the possible exit of its only sitting governor.

A sister publication of PRNigeria, Politics Digest is a Nigerian political news platform that posts daily updates, analysis, and interviews about national and state politics.

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