APC Cool on Automatic Ticket for Yusuf Following Defection

The political landscape of Kano State has undergone a seismic shift as the All Progressives Congress (APC) officially opened its doors to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf following his high-profile resignation from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Addressing the wave of speculation surrounding the move, Kano State APC Chairman Abdullahi Abbas confirmed that while the party is eager to bolster its ranks, the conversation regarding an “automatic ticket” for the 2027 gubernatorial race is currently off the table.

Abbas emphasized that the APC operates as a broad-based tent and would never reject a “political addition” of such magnitude. Citing the fundamental rule that politics is a game of numbers, the Chairman noted that welcoming a sitting governor alongside his vast network of loyalists is a strategic win. However, he remained firm that the party’s internal democratic processes would not be bypassed. According to Abbas, any discussion on tickets or future roles is premature until the formal defection processes are fully concluded and the new arrivals are integrated into the party structure.

The Governor’s exit from the NNPP, announced on Friday, January 23, 2026, marks the end of a long-standing alliance with his benefactor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. In a move that has stunned political observers, Yusuf is not moving alone; he is leading a massive exodus that includes 21 members of the State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives, and the chairmen of all 44 local government areas in Kano. This “jamboree decamping,” as critics have labeled it, effectively leaves the NNPP—the party that birthed the Kwankwasiyya movement—without its executive engine room in the state.

Defending the move, Governor Yusuf cited persistent internal crises and “irreconcilable” leadership disputes within the NNPP as his primary reasons for leaving. He maintained that his resignation was a difficult but necessary step taken in the broader interest of peace and unity in Kano. Despite the friction this has caused with the Kwankwasiyya loyalists, Yusuf’s camp believes that aligning with the APC at the center will unlock more opportunities for the state’s development, especially following his recent private audience with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.

The APC leadership in Kano appears well-aware of the potential for friction between “old” and “new” members. To mitigate this, Abbas assured party stalwarts that a comprehensive strategy is being mapped out to ensure a harmonious integration. The goal, he stated, is to create a unified front capable of delivering a landslide victory in 2027. He dismissed rumors that the defection was a snap decision, explaining that the move required months of careful planning and adherence to legal and political due process.

While the APC celebrates its growing influence, the NNPP has not taken the news lightly. National publicity secretary Ladipo Johnson described the Governor’s exit as a “cold betrayal” of the sacred trust placed in him by the people of Kano. The party argues that Yusuf’s mandate belongs to the voters who rejected the APC in 2023, and they have warned that the masses remain loyal to the ideology of the Kwankwasiyya movement rather than specific officeholders. In a show of continued defiance, Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam has chosen to remain in the NNPP, signaling a split in the state’s top leadership.

As the dust settles on this historic realignment, all eyes are on the APC’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, and the state’s power brokers, including Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin. With influential figures within the APC also harboring 2027 ambitions, the refusal to grant Yusuf an automatic ticket suggests a complex internal battle for the soul of the party in Kano is just beginning. For now, the APC is focused on the immediate “registration” of its newest and most powerful members, leaving the high-stakes negotiations for a later date.

The coming weeks will likely see a formal reception ceremony for the Governor and his entourage, an event that will officially signal the start of a new political era in Northern Nigeria’s most populous state. Whether Yusuf can maintain his popularity without the “Red Cap” machinery of the NNPP remains the biggest question in Nigerian politics today.