KANO State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has officially joined to the All Progressives Congress (APC), becoming the 29th serving governor under President Bola Tinubu’s ruling party.
The announcement came on Monday, January 26, three days after he resigned from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Yusuf formally communicated his resignation on Friday, January 23, citing internal crises, leadership disputes, and ongoing legal battles within NNPP which he said had destabilised the party at both state and national levels.
In his resignation letter to the NNPP Chairman of Diso-Chiranchi Ward, Gwale Local Government Area, the governor expressed gratitude for the platform and support he received since joining NNPP in 2022, but said unresolved disputes left him with no choice but to resign.
Yusuf was elected governor under the NNPP in 2022. His tenure was recently marked by internal party conflicts and leadership disputes, which he cited as reasons for his resignation.
Following Yusuf’s resignation, multiple NNPP lawmakers and officials in Kano State reportedly also left the party, including 22 members of the State House of Assembly, eight federal lawmakers, and 44 local government chairmen.
The lawmakers announced their defection during a plenary session on Monday, January 26.
This, many have argued, would cause a major collapse of the party’s structure in the state.
The ICIR reports that Yusuf’s defection is part of a wider pattern of governors and lawmakers leaving opposition parties, particularly the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and NNPP, to join the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Recent months have seen similar high-profile defections, including Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri, and Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Eno, who all cited political alignment with the federal government as a key motivation.
Current governorship standings (January 2026)
| Party | Number of Governors |
| APC | 29 |
| PDP | 4 |
| APGA | 1 |
| Labour Party | 1 |
| Accord | 1 |
The addition of Yusuf as the 29th APC governor strengthens the party’s influence in northern Nigeria, consolidating its reach in a region that is often regarded during election.
Several online commentators suggested that the wave of defections is likely to influence both state and national politics, giving APC a strategic advantage in key regions ahead of the next polls.
The ICIR reports that there have also been concerns among political analysts that the shrinking number of opposition governors could result in a de facto one-party state in the country, as the APC steadily consolidates power under the Tinubu’s leadership.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M