The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has clarified that Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf does not require endorsement or approval from Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the party’s founder and 2023 presidential candidate either to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) or to remain within the NNPP. The statement was issued by the party leadership in Lagos on January 14, 2026 amid swirling rumours about the governor’s political future.
The NNPP disowned claims that Kwankwaso had reversed his earlier opposition to gubernatorial defections or formally green‑lit Yusuf’s move to the APC, describing such reports as false and misleading. It reiterated that any decision by Yusuf to defect is a matter of his constitutional right rather than one requiring the former leader’s blessing.
In its response, the party said it would advise Governor Yusuf to stay but acknowledged that ongoing legal disputes and personal political calculations could shape his choice. The NNPP leadership insisted it harbours no ill will toward any political party, including the APC, and asserted that it cannot “forcefully demand” that its sole sitting governor stay against his will.
The clarification comes amid a broader political conversation in Kano and at the national level about loyalty, party autonomy and constitutional freedoms ahead of the 2027 general elections, with many observers watching how elite alignments could reshape opposition and ruling party dynamics.
