2027 Elections: Political Earthquake Hits Kano as Yusuf Abandons NNPP for APC
By: Abudu Olalekan
Governor Abba Yusuf’s defection from NNPP to APC triggers massive political reactions. Opposition parties insist the move won’t change 2027 electoral reality.
Something big just happend. Real big. Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, is expected to formally join the ruling All Progressives Congress on Monday. And people are not happy about it.
The opposition is furious. We’re talking about the PDP, ADC and Labour Party here. They’ve come out guns blazing against the APC, calling the whole defection saga a moral failure. Not political strength. Moral failure. The NNPP has strongly condemned the resignation, describing the move as a betrayal of the mandate freely given to him by the people of the state.
Here’s the backstory you need to understand. Governor Yusuf won the 2023 governorship election on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party. Former Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has described the defection as a “betrayal of trust and sacrifice,” accusing the governor of abandoning the platform and movement that brought him to power. The man literally handed Yusuf his political career. And now? Betrayal.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, didn’t mince words when he spoke to Reportersroom. According to him, defecting governors are holding mandates that belongs to other parties. He argued that electoral strength gets determined only during elections, not by governors jumping ship. The people didn’t defect with these governors, he said. And honestly, he’s got a point there.
Kwankwaso declared January 23 as “World Betrayal Day” while addressing loyalists at his residence in Kano. Can you imagine? A whole day dedicated to betrayal. He said the idea was inspired by social media commentators who described the governor’s NNPP exit as a betrayal. The internet doesn’t forget.
But wait. There’s historical context that makes this even more interesting. The NNPP reminded everyone about Alhaji Abubakar Rimi. In the early 1980s, Rimi defected from the People’s Redemption Party to the Nigerian People’s Party. He took nearly everybody with him. Of the 120 state assembly members who joined Rimi’s defection, only one was re-elected. Just one person. The electorate remembered. They always do.
The APC is obviously celebrating. The APC scribe described the development as a welcome boost for the party, noting that the governor was reportedly moving with a large number of elected officials and political appointees. Governor Yusuf is not coming to the APC alone, but with elected local government chairmen and councillors as well as other political office holders.
Meanwhile, the ADC publicity secretary Bolaji Abdullahi had some harsh words too. He suggested these defecting governors are seeking personal protection, not serving their people. They want that easy ride to second term, he claimed. And according to him, joining APC means “your sins are forgiven.” His words, not mine.
Kwankwaso’s ally Buba Galadima warned that the governor’s political base remains tied to Kwankwaso’s support, stating “If he stands on borrowed feet, he will fall.”
The LP Interim National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, spoke in proverbs. She basicaly said that all the governors trooping to one side don’t mean the opposition won’t have impact come 2027. She’s right to be confident. Or maybe not. Time will tell.
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. So even within APC, things ain’t smooth for Yusuf. Compounding the governor’s dilemma is the presence of powerful internal rivals within the APC. Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin is widely believed to harbour strong gubernatorial ambitions for 2027.
The APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, called this a homecoming. He reminded everyone that Yusuf was once APC before leaving for NNPP. Fair point. But the opposition isn’t buying it. They say the ruling party is showing cowardice, not strength.
What happens next? Nobody really knows. The anticipated defection would mark a major shift in Kano’s political landscape and further strengthen the APC’s influence in the North-West region. But elections are decided by voters. Not by governors who switch sides.
The 2027 battle has truly began. And Kano, with its massive electoral importance, sits right at the centre of this political storm. One thing is certain though. The voters are watching. And they will have their say.
