Engr. Buba Galadima, Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Board of Trustees, said Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf abandoned his political mentor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, within three months of taking office.
Galadima described the act as a betrayal of the political movement that brought Yusuf to power.
Galadima made the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday as reactions continued to unfold following Yusuf’s formal resignation from the NNPP and his planned defection to the All-Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Yusuf resigned from the NNPP on January 23, 2026, ahead of his formal registration with the APC. The move ended his longstanding political alignment with Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya Movement, which had supported his election in 2023.
Yusuf’s defection has triggered the resignation of several political appointees loyal to Kwankwaso and the NNPP. Commissioners and other officials resigned from the Kano State Executive Council in opposition to the governor’s political realignment.
Galadima said Yusuf’s decision to align with the APC and former governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje marked a “historic betrayal” of the movement. He insisted the governor had severed ties with Kwankwaso privately long before publicly distancing himself.
“Three months into his tenure, he abandoned Kwankwaso but publicly, he still treated him like a king,” Galadima said, according to the statement. He said events behind the scenes differed from the public narrative.
Galadima dismissed suggestions that Yusuf’s defection was in the interest of Kano residents. “His own personal interest — personal, personal, personal,” he said. “Not Kano people. Not peace in Kano.”
He said the move would have been viewed differently had the governor joined a political platform other than the APC, adding that the defection was motivated by “survival.”
The governor’s departure from the NNPP has drawn a range of reactions. The party has said that both Kwankwaso and Kano voters feel betrayed by the decision, stressing that Yusuf’s rise to office was tied to grassroots support and the Kwankwasiyya Movement.
In contrast, supporters of Yusuf’s alignment with the APC emphasise that the governor cited internal party crises and governance considerations as reasons for his defection. The state government has rejected claims that his re‑election prospects depend on any single political figure.
Yusuf’s defection has reshaped the political landscape in Kano State. Several elected lawmakers and party officials have moved with him to the APC, while some loyalists to Kwankwaso have remained in or left the state administration in protest.
The realignment comes ahead of the 2027 general elections, raising questions about party strength and voter loyalty in the state. Political analysts note the shift may influence future electoral dynamics in Nigeria’s most populous state.
NNPP leader Buba Galadima has asserted that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf abandoned his political godfather, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, within three months of assuming office.
Galadima characterised the governor’s defection to the APC as a betrayal driven by personal interests rather than Kano’s welfare.
The development has triggered significant political shifts within the state as the 2027 elections approach.
