22 Kano Lawmakers Join APC Following Governor Yusuf’s Exit from NNPP

January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

In a major political shift, 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly have defected from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), following the resignation of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf from the party.

The announcement was made during a plenary session on Monday, January 26, 2026, shortly after Governor Yusuf visited President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja. In his resignation letter addressed to the chairman of the Diso–Chiranchi Ward in Gwale Local Government Area, Yusuf cited “deepening internal crises” and “prolonged leadership disputes” within the NNPP as reasons for his departure.

Yusuf’s defection was accompanied by 22 state lawmakers, eight members of the House of Representatives, and all 44 local government chairmen in Kano State, marking one of the largest political realignments in recent years.

Among the lawmakers who left the NNPP are top assembly officials, including Speaker Jibril Falgore (Rogo) and Deputy Speaker Muhammad Bello Butu Butu (Tofa/Rimin Gado). Other key figures include Majority Leader Lawan Hussain (Dala), Deputy Majority Leader Garba Shehu Fammar (Kibiya), and Chief Whip Muddasir Ibrahim Zawachiki (Kumbotso).

A video of the proceedings, shared on social media by X user @Imranmuhdz, showed Speaker Falgore calling each member to publicly announce their defection. Among the lawmakers speaking were Rep. Rabiu Shuaibu (Dawakin Kudu), who declared, “I, Shuaibu Rabiu, representing Dawakin Kudu, resign my membership of the NNPP to the APC with immediate effect from today,” and Tukur Mohammed (Fagge), who confirmed, “I am resigning my membership of the NNPP and joining the APC.”

Other notable defectors include Zakariyya Abdullahi Nuhu (Gabasawa), Lawal Tini (Ajingi), Musa Tahir Haruna (Albasu), Ali Lawan Alhassan (Bagwai/Shanono), Ali Muhammad Tiga (Bebeji), Hafiz Gambo (Bunkure), Murtala Muhammad Kadage (Garko), Abdulmajid Isah Umar (Gwale), Ahmad Ibrahim (Karaye), Alhassan Zakari (Kura/Garun Malam), Suleiman Mukhtar Ishaq (Madobi), Abdulhamid Abdul (Minjibir), Muhammad Ibrahim (Rano), Kabiru Sule Dahiru (Tarauni), and Ali Abdullahi Manager (Wudil).

Reacting to the mass defections, NNPP national leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso described the developments as a betrayal, declaring January 23 as “World Betrayal Day.” Kwankwaso was instrumental in Governor Yusuf’s election victory in 2023 through the Kwankwasiyya political movement, making the defections particularly significant in Kano’s political landscape.

The shift strengthens APC’s influence in Kano State and signals a potential realignment ahead of the 2027 elections, as former NNPP members consolidate their positions within the ruling party.