Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has officially joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The move was formalized on Monday, January 26, 2026, at a ceremony held at the Coronation Hall of the Kano State Government House.
This comes three days after Yusuf announced his resignation from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), a platform through which he won the governorship seat in the 2023 general election.
This development comes after weeks of intense speculation and a growing rift within the Kwankwasiyya movement, led by his godfather and national leader of the NNPP, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Earlier, 21 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, including the speaker, Jibril Ismail Falgore, and the deputy speaker, Muhammad Butu- Butu, announced their defection from NNPP to the APC.
READ ALSO: 21 Kano Assembly Members Finally Defect from NNPP to APC
The Governor was received by high-ranking APC officials, including the former National Chairman and former Kano Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, and other top leaders.
In his address, Yusuf stated that the move was to align Kano with the federal government’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” to accelerate development and end “confrontational politics.”
Eight members of the Federal House of Representatives and all 44 local government chairmen in the state also moved to the APC with the governor.
This development marks a historic break between Governor Yusuf and his long-time political mentor, Senator Kwankwaso. While Kwankwaso remains the leader of the NNPP, the loss of the governor and the state’s legislative and local government structures is a massive blow to the party’s influence ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking at the event, Ganduje said the party has resolved to grant an automatic ticket to Governor Yusuf for the 2027 election.
The ex-governor said other intending contestants have decided to step down for Yusuf.
He also declared that with Yusuf’s formal defection to the APC, he automatically becomes the party leader in the state.
