By chatnewstv.com
KANO, Nigeria (chatnewstv.com) — Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf traveled to France on Friday to meet with President Bola Tinubu, following a high-stakes secret meeting with his political mentor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in a final attempt to broker a joint defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The late-night meeting on Tuesday at Kwankwaso’s Miller Road residence in Kano reportedly lasted over an hour. Sources close to the governor said Yusuf arrived around midnight in a private vehicle, accompanied by a mediator identified as Sarkin Gobir, to convince Kwankwaso to join the APC alongside him.
The outreach appears to have been unsuccessful. Addressing a gathering of supporters a day later, Kwankwaso, the national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), dismissed the pressure to switch parties.
“First, we know that betrayal is not good. Everybody knows how that party is losing the sympathy of the people, especially with regards to insecurity and the economy,” Kwankwaso told his followers. “People used to say in Nigeria that everyone has a price tag. If you are looking for who has no price tag, come to Rabiu Kwankwaso.”
The governor’s planned defection has triggered a seismic shift in Kano’s political landscape. While a majority of NNPP lawmakers in the State and National Assemblies, as well as local government chairmen, have reportedly aligned with Yusuf’s move to the APC, grassroots support remains largely loyal to Kwankwaso.
Political analysts say the backlash from the “Kwankwasiyya” faithful has caused concern among APC powerbrokers.
“APC leaders are keenly observing what is happening in Kano,” a source familiar with the negotiations said. “Kwankwaso is gaining sympathy from across the state. If Abba joins APC alone, Kwankwaso’s candidate may likely get a sympathy vote in the next election.”
Despite the resistance, insiders say President Tinubu remains “vehement” about bringing Kwankwaso into the APC fold to secure the North’s political capital ahead of 2027. Yusuf is expected to brief the president on the outcome of the Miller Road meeting during their talks in France before charting a final course for his formal defection.
The return of top Kano APC leaders—including former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin—from their year-end holidays has further signaled that a formal announcement may be imminent.
“The stage is set,” another source said. “The governor is expected to announce his defection after final consultations with the APC leadership.”
