January 26, (THEWILL) — Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development in Kano State and son of the Kwankwasiyya movement’s leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has resigned from the State Executive Council.
The resignation, announced on Monday, January 26, 2026, adds a significant layer to the ongoing political crisis in the state following Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s recent defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a personally signed statement, the former commissioner described his departure as a decision made with a “heavy heart.”
While he refrained from explicitly detailing the political friction behind the move, his exit follows a weekend of high-profile resignations from Kwankwaso loyalists who have refused to follow the Governor into the APC.
The statement, “I want to express my deepest gratitude to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for the opportunity to serve the great people of Kano State,” the statement read.
“I have cherished the experiences and lessons gained while serving, and I appreciate the trust placed in me.”
Despite the political divorce between his father and the Governor—who is also Senator Kwankwaso’s son-in-law—Mustapha maintained a professional tone, focusing on the future of his former ministry.
He urged the state government to sustain its support for youth-focused policies and expressed confidence that the sports initiatives established during his tenure would continue to flourish.
“As I resign, I pray that the youth of Kano State will continue to receive the attention and support they deserve,” he added, concluding with a prayer for the continued progress of the state.
Mustapha’s exit follows that of the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr. Yusuf Kofar-Mata, who resigned on Sunday, stating he could not serve a government that had “derailed from the ideology” that brought it to power.
The mass withdrawal of Kwankwaso’s inner circle from the cabinet marks the formal end of the political alliance that dominated Kano politics during the 2023 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
