The national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has accused unnamed political actors of mounting pressure on public office holders in Kano State to endorse an alleged plan by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Kwankwaso, a former two term governor of Kano, raised the alarm in a video message shared on Facebook by his media aide, Saifullahi Hassan. He claimed that state lawmakers, local government chairmen, councillors and other political appointees were being compelled to publicly choose between the Kwankwasiyya political movement and the Gandujiyya bloc linked to former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of the APC.
According to Kwankwaso, the situation has created deep anxiety within government circles since reports of the planned defection emerged. He said he had received multiple distress calls from affected officials who complained of intimidation and coercion.
“Today, January 13, 2026, when I returned to town, I received some good news and others were unpleasant,” he said. “It is especially troubling that the government decided that chairmen, councillors, secretaries and other political appointees must declare whether they support Kwankwasiyya or Gandujiyya. That is something unpleasant.”
Kwankwaso further alleged that the pressure had taken a serious toll on some of those involved, with reports of health and emotional distress. He said several local government chairmen, councillors and state lawmakers had contacted him to explain their predicament, adding that some had suffered sleepless nights while others reportedly required medical attention.
In a move he described as aimed at calming tensions, Kwankwaso said consultations within the party led to a decision to advise those under pressure to comply with government directives for the time being. He explained that allowing affected officials to append their signatures where required would help ease the immediate strain, while stressing that the broader political contest remained ahead.
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“The battle for 2027 is still in front of us,” he said, signaling that the party was not backing down from future electoral plans despite current developments.
Kwankwaso also expressed gratitude to party supporters and caucus members who, he claimed, were pressured or enticed with promises to abandon the NNPP. He commended Governor Yusuf for recently acknowledging the achievements of the previous NNPP led administration, a gesture he described as significant amid rising political uncertainty.
Meanwhile, political sources in Kano suggest that Governor Yusuf may finalize his move to the APC before the end of the week. According to the sources, the governor is expected to travel to Abuja and could return to Kano alongside former APC national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, for the launch of the party’s electronic registration exercise in the state.
If confirmed, the defection would mark a major shift in Kano’s political landscape and deepen the rivalry between the Kwankwasiyya movement and the APC as the race toward the 2027 general elections gathers momentum.
