‘I’m Not for Sale’: Kwankwaso Fires Back as Governor Yusuf Dumps NNPP

KANO — The National Leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has broken his silence following the resignation of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, from the party, declaring defiantly that his political ideology is “not for sale.”

Speaking to a gathering of Kwankwasiyya loyalists at his Miller Road residence in Kano on Friday, Kwankwaso framed the governor’s exit as a test of character, warning his remaining supporters against the allure of “money politics.”

The Governor’s resignation, which officially took effect on Friday, January 23, 2026, marks the collapse of a decades-long political alliance between Kwankwaso and Yusuf, his longtime protégé and son-in-law.

“Greed Would Have Bought Us Long Ago”

While Kwankwaso avoided mentioning Governor Yusuf by name, his message was a thinly veiled rebuke of the defection. He insisted that the Kwankwasiyya movement remains grounded in conviction, not transactional politics.

“I am not for sale. Our political convictions keep me grounded,” Kwankwaso told the crowd. “If I were in it for personal gain, I would have taken the easy route long ago, and you would be looking for me elsewhere, not here.”

He added, “If we had allowed greed to guide us, we would have been bought with money long ago. Our presence here today is based on ideology.”

The “Irreconcilable” Split

Governor Yusuf formally dumped the NNPP in a letter addressed to the party chairman of his Diso-Chiranchi Ward. In the letter, he cited “persistent internal challenges” and “leadership disagreements” that created deep cracks within the party structure.

“The growing disenfranchisement among party members has created deep divisions… resulting in cracks that appear increasingly irreconcilable,” Yusuf wrote.

The Governor did not leave alone. He moved with a massive chunk of the party’s structure, including:

• 21 members of the Kano State House of Assembly.
• 8 members of the House of Representatives.
• All 44 Local Government Chairmen in the state.

Deputy Governor Stays Put

In a twist that highlights the complexity of the breakup, Kano State Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, has refused to join his principal in the exodus.

Gwarzo, a staunch loyalist of the Kwankwasiyya ideology, affirmed his decision to remain in the NNPP, creating a rare scenario where a Governor and his Deputy belong to opposing political camps.

What Next for Kano?

Political analysts view this development as a tectonic shift in Kano politics ahead of the 2027 general elections. Governor Yusuf is widely expected to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that would align him with the federal government but pit him directly against his former mentor.

For Kwankwaso, the challenge is now existential: rebuilding his base without the power of the incumbency that the Governor provided.