The Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party’s (NNPP) Board of Trustees, Engr. Buba Galadima, has alleged that Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf severed ties with his political mentor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, just three months after assuming office and before formally defecting to the All-Progressives Congress (APC).
Galadima spoke on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, in reaction to Yusuf’s recent political realignment.
Governor Yusuf’s defection from the NNPP to the APC was formally announced on January 26, 2026, at the Government House in Kano.
The move marked a major shift in the state’s political landscape less than three years after Yusuf won the governorship under the NNPP, a party closely associated with the Kwankwasiyya movement led by Kwankwaso.
Galadima said Yusuf had “abandoned” Kwankwaso behind closed doors shortly after taking office, even while publicly maintaining cordial relations.
He described the governor’s realignment with the APC and former Kano governor Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as a “historic betrayal” of the political movement that helped deliver him victory.
The NNPP chieftain dismissed suggestions that Yusuf’s defection was driven by the welfare of Kano residents, asserting instead that it was motivated by self-preservation and personal interest.
Galadima said the governor’s alignment with the APC was aimed at securing political survival rather than advancing the party’s agenda.
Galadima recounted efforts by Kwankwaso and others to secure Yusuf’s victory in the 2023 election, saying the party made significant sacrifices to ensure his emergence as governor.
He also credited former President Muhammadu Buhari and the courts for affirming Yusuf’s mandate after protracted legal challenges.
The NNPP leader said that despite the defection, his party had remained largely silent until Yusuf publicly announced his departure.
Galadima claimed the party enjoys sympathy among Kano residents following the development and predicted that the NNPP would remain resilient despite losing its only governorship seat.
Galadima said: “Three months into his tenure, he abandoned Kwankwaso but publicly, he still treated him like a king. What happens behind closed doors is different.” He added: “His own personal interest – personal, personal, personal. Not Kano people. Not peace in Kano.”
The allegation underscores deepening political fractures in Kano State and highlights tensions surrounding party loyalty and realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections. Analysts say the developments could reshape political alliances and voter sentiment within the state’s influential electorate.
Engr. Buba Galadima’s claims that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf distanced himself from Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso shortly after taking office and later defected to the APC reflect growing political strains in Kano.
The dispute adds complexity to the state’s evolving political dynamics as stakeholders prepare for future electoral contests.
