Kano's Political Landscape Undergoes Reshaping as Defections Mount
In a significant political development reverberating across Kano State, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Mohammed Jamo, has declared that recent high-profile defections, including Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso's departure from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), unequivocally validate Governor Abba Yusuf's earlier decision to exit the party.
Jamo, speaking on Channels Television’s 'Politics Today,' emphasized that these shifts affirm his faction's long-held stance regarding the NNPP’s viability as a political platform.
The Vindication of a Strategic Departure
“There are always two sides to every coin. If we are to look at it from the perspective from which we and many people in Kano see what has happened today, it is a vindication of our position,” Jamo stated. He recalled the widespread criticism that met Governor Yusuf and his allies when they initially left the NNPP months prior, particularly from within the powerful Kwankwasiyya Movement.
Jamo highlighted the initial backlash: “A few months ago, when Governor Abba Yusuf and some of us decided that the NNPP was no longer a tenable platform for us to continue practising politics and delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Kano, many people, especially from the Kwankwasiyya movement, were shouting and saying we had done the wrong thing.”
He concluded, “But today, we have been vindicated that leaving the NNPP was the right decision.”
NNPP's Deepening Crisis and the Path Forward for Kano
The NNPP, which garnered considerable attention during the 2023 general elections, largely propelled by the Kwankwasiyya movement led by Kwankwaso, has since been embroiled in a series of internal crises and leadership disputes. These challenges appear to have significantly eroded the party's foundation.
Key developments underscoring the party's turbulent period include:
- Governor Yusuf's Earlier Exit: Governor Yusuf formally resigned from the NNPP in January 2026, subsequently defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) alongside a significant contingent of lawmakers and local government chairmen.
- Kwankwaso's Recent Move: In a further blow to the NNPP, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a founding figure and key leader, recently defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Monday. He subsequently directed his vast network of supporters to follow suit, signaling a major realignment within the opposition ahead of the pivotal 2027 elections.
Jamo further argued that these ongoing political realignments affirm the prudence of Governor Yusuf’s strategic decision, particularly in aligning with the federal government for the betterment of governance in Kano State. “That means Nigerians watching us today will see that we were on the right trajectory by leaving the NNPP at the time we did and aligning with the Federal Government,” he added, emphasizing the perceived benefits for the state's administration and development.