Tinubu Suspends Kano Governor’s APC Defection Amid Kwankwaso’s Political Moves.

Fresh details have emerged on why Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s planned defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been postponed, despite earlier preparations for the move.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to party sources, Yusuf had concluded arrangements to formally join the APC last Monday, with plans to be the first registrant in Kano State under the party’s new online membership drive. Former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje was scheduled to accompany Yusuf to his Diso Ward for registration and to issue him a membership card, after which Yusuf was expected to escort Ganduje to Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area to renew his membership.

However, insiders said the defection plan was put on hold following advice that the governor meet key APC leaders in Kano, including Ganduje and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, to secure their approval before making any public announcement. A source familiar with the development said, “If the governor decamps without meeting Ganduje, Senator Barau, and other APC leaders, it will appear as if he is looking down on them, and it will not augur well for him.”

While some reports suggested Yusuf would join the APC on January 12, other sources said the date remains tentative, pending consultations with Kano APC leaders.

Political considerations at the national level also influenced the postponement. According to informed sources, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed that the defection be delayed to allow efforts to reconcile Yusuf’s political godfather, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, whose alleged plan to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has shifted the APC’s calculations. Sources claim the presidency is concerned that meetings between Kwankwaso, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Peter Obi could strengthen opposition coalitions ahead of the 2027 elections.

An APC insider noted that Yusuf’s political leverage in Kano may be weakened without Kwankwaso’s support, stating, “Without Kwankwaso, the governor’s political wings are clipped. Tinubu is still having a second thought on Governor Yusuf’s defection. As a matter of fact, it is the governor that is wooing APC, not the other way round.”

Other sources revealed that Yusuf requested additional time to convince more members of the Kano State House of Assembly and National Assembly to join him in the defection. Unconfirmed reports indicate that internal opposition within Kano may have left the governor undecided, with some suggesting he could reconsider the move and seek reconciliation with Kwankwaso.