Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf has formally rejoined the All Progressives Congress, APC, marking a significant shift in the state’s political landscape.
The governor resigned from the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, on Friday, January 23, stating that the party was facing persistent internal challenges arising from leadership disagreements and ongoing legal processes.
Yusuf first joined the APC in 2014 when he won the party’s primary election for the Kano Central Senatorial seat while serving as Commissioner for Works during Rabiu Kwankwaso’s second term as governor. He later ceded the ticket to Kwankwaso.
He left the APC in 2018 alongside Kwankwaso for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to challenge the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The governor announced his return to the APC on Monday during an event at the Coronation Hall of the Kano Government House, where he was welcomed back into the ruling party.
Yusuf was received by prominent APC figures, including former National Chairman and his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje; the Deputy President of the Senate and Senator representing Kano South, Barau Jibrin; the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata; and other senior party leaders.
Speaking at the event, Yusuf explained that his decision to rejoin the APC was driven by the need for closer collaboration with the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu.
Yusuf was elected governor in 2023 on the platform of the NNPP. He recently resigned from the party alongside several lawmakers from the Kano State House of Assembly and the House of Representatives.
After leaving the APC in 2018, Yusuf was endorsed by Kwankwaso to challenge Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje under the PDP in the 2019 gubernatorial election. Yusuf lost the election and later challenged the result at the election tribunal, but his petition was dismissed.
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