‘For the Good of Kano’: Gov Abba Yusuf Resigns from NNPP, Ends Alliance with Kwankwaso

KANO — The fragile peace within the Kano State political landscape has finally shattered. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has officially resigned his membership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), effectively severing ties with his political godfather, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and the Kwankwasiyya movement that brought him to power.

The Governor communicated his decision in a formal letter dated Friday, January 23, 2026, addressed to the Ward Chairman of the NNPP in Diso-Chiranchi Ward, Gwale Local Government Area.

The resignation, which takes effect from Sunday, January 25, 2026, confirms months of speculation regarding a deep rift between the Governor and the party’s national leadership.

“I Can No Longer Continue”

In the letter, which his Chief Press Secretary Sanusi Bature made public on Friday morning, Governor Yusuf cited “intractable internal crises” as the primary reason for his exit. He stated that the endless litigation and leadership tussles within the NNPP were distracting his administration from delivering dividends of democracy to the people of Kano.

“I write with a deep sense of responsibility to formally notify you of my decision to resign my membership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP),” the letter read in part. “This decision follows months of careful consultation and is borne out of the need to safeguard the peace, stability, and progress of Kano State, which transcends any personal or party interest.”

The Great Split: Who Goes, Who Stays?

The Governor’s exit has triggered a massive realignment in Kano’s political structure. Sources inside the Government House confirm that Yusuf is not leaving alone.

• Moving with Yusuf: It is understood that the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, majority of the Commissioners, and all 44 Local Government Chairmen (elected in the recent council polls) are set to follow the Governor into his next political destination—widely expected to be the All Progressives Congress (APC).
• Staying with Kwankwaso: However, in a twist that highlights the depth of the fracture, the Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, has reportedly refused to defect. Gwarzo, a die-hard loyalist of Kwankwaso, has chosen to remain in the NNPP, setting the stage for a potentially hostile executive relationship in the coming months.

The Kwankwasiyya Implosion

This resignation marks the potential collapse of the “Red Cap revolution” that dominated Kano politics in 2023. For decades, Abba Yusuf was seen as the most loyal disciple of Rabiu Kwankwaso—his son-in-law and political heir.

Political analysts argue that the split was inevitable. “The Godfather-Godson conflict is a recurring curse in Nigerian politics,” noted Dr. Saidu Ahmad, a political scientist at Bayero University Kano. “Governor Yusuf has spent the last year trying to build his own base distinct from Kwankwaso’s overbearing influence. The battle for the soul of Kano has just begun.”

What Next?

While Governor Yusuf has not officially declared for the APC, the ruling party’s secretariat in Kano is already in a festive mood. High-profile meetings held earlier this week with APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje in Abuja suggest that a “grand reception” for the Governor is being planned for early February.

For now, the NNPP has lost its only Governor, leaving the party’s future in precarious uncertainty as the 2027 election cycle looms on the horizon.