January 24, (THEWILL) — The political landscape of Kano State shifted significantly on Friday as Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf formally resigned from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), sparking a wave of defections that threatens to dismantle the party’s grip on the state.
In a defiant response to the mass exit, the National Leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, declared that his political principles remain unshakeable.
Addressing a sea of red-capped supporters at his Miller Road residence, Kwankwaso emphasized that he would not compromise his ideology for material gain.
“I am not for sale. Our political convictions keep me grounded,” Kwankwaso told the crowd.
“If I were in it for personal gain, I would have taken the easy route, and you would be looking for me elsewhere. If I were motivated by greed, I would have taken the money and run.”
The Governor’s resignation, which takes effect Sunday, January 25, 2026, was accompanied by a political earthquake: 21 members of the State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives, and all 44 local government chairmen also exited the NNPP.
The group is expected to be formally received into the All Progressives Congress (APC) later today, following the Governor’s recent high-level meetings with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
While Governor Yusuf cited “persistent internal challenges and irreconcilable cracks” within the NNPP as his reason for leaving, Kwankwaso framed the moment as a test of loyalty.
He commended those who stayed behind, including Deputy Governor Aminu Abdulsalam and Senator Rufa’i Hanga, describing them as people who cannot be induced to abandon their truth.
“My mission is to always fight for the ordinary people. I will not compromise with those who exploit the masses,” Kwankwaso added.
He warned that certain forces are “hell-bent on destroying” the political structure he built over decades and urged his remaining loyalists to begin early mobilization for the 2027 general elections.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
