President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has intensified political speculation surrounding the prospective defection of Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf following a high-level, closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting which brought together the President and Governor Yusuf on Monday afternoon has been widely interpreted by political insiders as a key step toward clearing the way for the Kano chief executive’s anticipated shift from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to sources close to the discussions, both leaders engaged in intense consultations on the governor’s political future and his prospects for re-election ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The meeting, Yusuf’s first known direct engagement with the President since Tinubu’s return from an overseas assignment lasted several hours behind closed doors. The governor arrived in sharp traditional attire and left without addressing waiting reporters.
Officials from the APC in Kano have signalled that preparations are underway for Yusuf to formally join the ruling party, with party leaders indicating that a public announcement could come imminently.
Yusuf’s planned realignment, if consummated, would represent a significant shift in Nigeria’s political landscape removing the only NNPP governor in the federation and handing a key northern state to the APC ahead of the next election cycle.
However, not all stakeholders are united behind the potential move. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, national leader of the NNPP and Yusuf’s political mentor, has publicly denied authorising any defection and criticised the rumours as misleading.
Reports suggest that earlier discussions over Yusuf’s switch to the APC stalled over disagreements including demands for an automatic governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 primaries, which the ruling party has been hesitant to guarantee.
Meanwhile, political tensions within Kano are rising, with some NNPP insiders warning that a defection could undermine the party’s grassroots support and fracture longstanding alliances.
