Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has formally crossed over to the All Progressives Congress (APC), making the move alongside 22 lawmakers from the Kano State House of Assembly and nine members of the House of Representatives.
The governor made the announcement on Monday during a high-profile political gathering at the Coronation Hall inside the Government House in Kano.
While speaking before party chieftains, legislators and supporters at the venue, Governor Yusuf explained that the decision was the outcome of prolonged engagements with elected officials and influential stakeholders from different parts of the state.
“After wide consultation, 22 out of 24 members of the Kano State House of Assembly and nine out of 14 members of the House of Representatives have concluded that we should join the APC,” Yusuf said.
According to him, the defection was driven by the need to deepen governance collaboration and fast-track development initiatives across Kano State.
“We are choosing partnership rather than polarisation. Political parties are vehicles; the destination is to bring positive change to the people of Kano,” the governor stated. “Judge this decision by the work we do for the people of Kano.”
Several top figures within the APC were present at the event, including former National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje; Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin; and Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abubakar Kabiru Bichi, among other party leaders.
Responding to the development, Kano State APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, characterized the large-scale defection as both courageous and unprecedented.
“This is a bold decision. APC members in Kano will remain loyal to Governor Abba Yusuf as he joins the party,” Abbas said.
Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, also called on his political base to throw their full weight behind the governor.
“I urge all my supporters to support Governor Abba Yusuf so that we can work together for the progress of Kano State,” he said.
Former APC National Chairman, Ganduje, formally received the governor and the defecting lawmakers into the party, describing Yusuf as a politician whose ideology aligns with progressive politics.
“Governor Abba Yusuf is a progressive politician and deserves to be in the APC. From now on, he is the leader of the party in Kano State,” Ganduje declared.
“Every member and leader of the party is 100 per cent with him.”
The governor’s defection, together with a significant number of state and federal legislators, is widely seen as a development that could dramatically alter Kano State’s political direction.
What you should know
Abba Yusuf’s defection to the APC marks one of the most significant political shifts in Kano State in recent years.
By moving with a strong bloc of state and federal lawmakers, the governor has consolidated political power and signaled a new phase of cooperation with the ruling party at the national level. The development is expected to influence policy alignment, legislative coordination and future electoral dynamics in the state.
It also places Yusuf at the center of APC leadership in Kano, potentially redefining alliances and reshaping opposition strength ahead of future elections.
