…Gov Yusuf’s defection to APC doesn’t guarantee victory in 2027 – Analyst
Political tension has heightened in Kano State following an apparent rift between the leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and the state Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, over an alleged plan to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and support President Bola Tinubu re-election bid.
According to reports, for days now, security presence has been reinforced around the Government House amid reports that Governor Yusuf, a long-time protégé of Kwankwaso, is considering leaving the NNPP for the ruling party.
The defection, which was initially expected to happen immediately, has reportedly been postponed to January 12 to allow the governor consult widely, particularly with members of the Kano State House of Assembly.
Kwankwaso, speaking at the weekend, accused the governor of plotting to hand over Kano to former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, whom he claimed the state had earlier been rescued from.
Ganduje, former APC national chairman and governor of the state was once Kwankwaso’s ally before their political fallout after the change of power in 2015.
However, responding to the allegations, the governor’s media adviser, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa (also known as Nagoda), said Yusuf still holds Kwankwaso in high esteem.
“We still respect and regard Kwankwaso as our political leader,” he told journalists.
However, he suggested that Yusuf’s alleged move to the APC had become necessary, expressing optimism that Kwankwaso would eventually support it.
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According to him, the governor is the Chief Security Officer of Kano State.
It is unfortunate that he would give security directives and the police would say they are waiting for directives from someone outside Kano.
He also referenced the lingering emirate crisis in the state, recalling an incident where the convoy of the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, was reportedly stoned while passing near the Nassarawa Palace, where the 15th Emir, Aminu Ado Bayero, resides.
“Such incidents should not happen,” he said, adding that joining the APC could help restore stability and improve the well-being of Kano residents.
On Kwankwaso’s opposition to the alleged defection, Nagoda said, “We are praying that he softens and leads the way to the APC.”
Meanwhile, the planned move has also sparked debate within the APC.
A prominent party figure in Kano, AbdulMajid DanBilki Kwamanda, claimed that both Kwankwaso and Yusuf were jointly orchestrating the defection.
In a video circulating on social media, Kwamanda said, nothing but death will wedge in between Abba and Kwankwaso.
He added that the move was a strategic political arrangement, alleging that Kwankwaso was sending Yusuf to the APC to secure a second term, while his deputy, Aminu AbdulSalam, would remain in the NNPP to contest.
“So whoever wins Kano, it’s a win-win for Kwankwaso,” he said.
In a chat with BusinessDay, a chieftain of the NNPP who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there was no justification for Governor Yusuf’s defection to the ruling party to win a second term considering the popularity of the government and the Kwankwasiya movement in the state.
He said the governor should think of the implications of damaging relationship with Kwankwaso who has supported him when the APC was doing all they can to bring him down.
“It is shameful that he is considering moving to the APC after all the support we gave him, even when they were doing all they can to remove him, after winning in 2023.
“The people of Kano stood by him and this is the way he wants to reward us. It is a shame, but let us wait and see the end of this”, the source said.
Governor Yusuf’s defection to APC doesn’t guarantee his victory in 2027-Analyst
Meanwhile, a political analyst, Philip Ikechukwu, told BusinessDay that with the growing popularity of APC in Kano State in recent months, Governor Yusuf could be fearing that his re-election in 2027 was not secured if he continues to remain in the NNPP.
The political analyst, however warned that Governor Yusuf’s defection to the ruling party may not guarantee his victory in 2027, considering the unpredictability of Kano politics and Kwankwaso’s and Kwankwasiya’s influence across the grassroots in the state.
According to him, apparently, Governor Yusuf has been poached and promised all sort of things to defect to the ruling party, just like we are seeing other states Governors move to APC.
“But don’t forget the APC ruled that state before and they lost in 2023. In 2019, the governorship election was not also easy, it was run-off and we saw it was disputed with NNPP claiming they where robbed and rigged out,” the analyst said.
Speaking further, he noted that if the votes of the people are allowed to count, Kano State could swing to either side in 2027.
“APC has not find it easy in Kano in recent years, just like Lagos, so the governorship election and others may be unpredictable for now,but it can go either side if the people’s vote count”, he added.
