Former Presidential Candidate and leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, says he is convinced that Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, and his close associates will eventually regret leaving the NNPP.
Kwankwaso said Governor Abba's exit from the NNPP came as a surprise to many people, adding that even he himself initially felt like it was a dream.
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"Many people I spoke to felt it was some kind of arrangement--between him and me, or between him and others. Even I often find it hard to believe that things are unfolding the way they are," Kwankwaso said.
On Monday, January 26, 2026, Kano State Governor officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), after announcing his resignation from the NNPP on Friday, January 23, 2026, less than three years after winning the Kano governorship on the party's platform.
Speaking at the event marking his defection to the APC, Governor Yusuf said his decision was based on an assessment of the direction of Nigerian politics and the need to align with a path he believes would bring development to the people of Kano State.
He added that he consulted with his political associates and other stakeholders before deciding to defect.
However, in his first media interview since parting ways with Governor Yusuf, Senator Kwankwaso told the BBC that he was deeply disappointed that the governor "handed over the mandate of the NNPP members and the people of Kano to the Gandujiyya political camp" without any strong justification.
Kwankwaso said, "When I lie down, I reflect and ask myself: what really happened? Who was at fault? Was it me? Was it the party? Were party members at fault? But I have not been able to find an answer."
The NNPP leader said that all the reasons the governor personally gave him or sent others to relay to him for defecting were issues that could have been resolved through dialogue and cooperation.
He also dismissed claims of internal crisis within the NNPP, which Governor Yusuf cited as one of the reasons for leaving the party, insisting that no political party is completely free of grievances.
"I can assure you, to the best of my knowledge, there is no party more peaceful and stable than the NNPP. And if there is any, let them hold their national convention and candidate selection processes, then you will see disputes," Kwankwaso said.
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Commenting on those who have left the NNPP but still claim allegiance to the Kwankwasiyya ideology, Kwankwaso described the situation as a clear case of choosing between light and darkness.
"Light and darkness have already been defined in Kano. If you want to practice Kwankwasiyya, who asked you to leave Kwankwasiyya? Stay where Kwankwasiyya is and practice it there," he said.
Kwankwaso further said that the manner in which former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje received Governor Yusuf into the APC and publicly raised his hand was a clear indication that "he has already lost the election."
"If Ganduje truly had the power to raise someone's hand to victory, he would have done so in 2019. If he had that power, he would have done so in 2023," Kwankwaso said.
He stressed that he was certain Governor Yusuf and his associates would face serious political challenges in the APC and that, "even if he does not return, he will regret it."
Kwankwaso also spoke on the future of the Kwankwasiyya movement, saying Kano still belongs to the NNPP and that efforts have already begun to build alliances aimed at rescuing Nigeria from its current situation.
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Kwankwaso remains one of the most influential politicians in northern Nigeria, particularly due to his strong appeal among young people.
Observers note that since the era of Malam Aminu Kano, no other northern politician has successfully built a named political ideology with such a loyal mass following as Kwankwaso.
Kwankwaso is the leader of the Kwankwasiyya political movement, whose followers are known for wearing red caps.
After completing his tenure as governor, Kwankwaso supported his deputy, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, as his successor. However, they soon fell out and parted ways.
This led Kwankwaso to field Abba Kabir Yusuf against Ganduje during the 2019 governorship election, which Yusuf lost after a controversial supplementary election in Gama Local Government Area.
Kwankwaso again sponsored Abba Kabir Yusuf in the subsequent election, where Yusuf defeated the candidate of Ganduje, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, to become Kano State governor.
