Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State and national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has said the defection of his former political protégé and son-in-law, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) still feels “like a dream” to him.

Kwankwaso made the comments during an interview monitored by local media on Sunday, February 1, 2026, amid deepening political tensions in the state.

Governor Yusuf’s announcement that he had defected from the NNPP to the APC at a ceremony in Kano on January 26, 2026, drew widespread attention and controversy.

The move followed months of speculation about divisions within the Kwankwassiya political family and the NNPP, which had been instrumental in Yusuf’s 2023 electoral victory.

Political reactions to the defection have been sharply divided. Senior NNPP figures described the decision as a betrayal of the party’s mandate and the political movement that brought Yusuf to power.

Kwankwaso’s public responses to the development have reflected personal disappointment and broader party discontent.

In the interview, Kwankwaso said he periodically awoke after hearing of the defection, questioning whether the event was real because of the long political relationship he had with Yusuf.

He described the news as emotionally challenging and difficult to reconcile with their past alliance.

The former governor also indicated that Yusuf and a small circle of close associates may have known about the planned defection in advance, surprising many within the party’s leadership and grassroots supporters who were unaware of imminent moves toward the APC.

Kwankwaso said: “What happened in Kano is something that still feels like a dream to me. Sometimes I wake up and think it is not real, but the reality is that he has left the NNPP for the APC.”

He added that, in his decades of political partnership with Yusuf, the current situation appeared almost unimaginable.

Kwankwaso’s reflections underscore the political strain between long-standing allies following Yusuf’s realignment with the APC.

The development has heightened questions about political loyalty, party identity and electoral strategy in Kano State, a key political battleground ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Analysts say defections by high-profile leaders can reshape political alliances, influence voter sentiments and trigger realignments at both state and national levels.

As political tensions in Kano continue, Kwankwaso’s remarks reflect deep personal and political reactions to Governor Yusuf’s defection.

His description of the event as still feeling unreal highlights the emotional impact of shifting alliances within Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.