In a cautious yet significant statement amid escalating political realignments in Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former governor and national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has outlined firm conditions for any potential move by himself or his supporters to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on Wednesday at his Miller Road residence in Kano during a closed-door meeting with leaders and supporters from Rano and Dawakin Tofa Local Government Areas, as well as other Kwankwasiyya movement affiliates, Kwankwaso emphasized that no defection would occur without explicit guarantees safeguarding the current Kano State government structure and the welfare of party loyalists.
“I didn’t say I won’t join APC, but we must first be clearly assured of the future of the Kano State government before we join the APC.
“What will be the fate of our lawmakers and other supporters before we agree to defect?” Kwankwaso stated.
He referenced past experiences where alliances led to abandonment after contributions to government formation, questioning whether the APC had genuinely shifted its approach.
“In the past, we joined and contributed to forming the government, but later we were abandoned. That was why we left the party. Have they now changed their position toward us? Everyone knows the role we played at that time,” he added.
“Up till now, no one has given me a clear assurance that we will be allowed to retain our government and continue with our political structure. I need to know where I stand,” Kwankwaso concluded, underscoring his demand for concrete commitments on retaining administrative control and protecting the Kwankwasiyya political framework.
The remarks come against a backdrop of intense speculation over Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s reported plans to defect from the NNPP to the APC, a move that has already fractured party loyalties and prompted pressure on elected officials, including local government chairmen and councillors, to align accordingly.
Recent days have seen conflicting reports: some outlets initially portrayed Kwankwaso as softening his stance or even endorsing aspects of the shift to ease tensions, while NNPP clarifications and his aides firmly denied any endorsement of the governor’s defection, describing such claims as misrepresentations.
Attendees at Wednesday’s gathering, including Deputy Governor Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, Commissioner for Science and Technology Yusuf Kofar Mata, and NNPP State Chairman Hon. Hashim Sulaiman Dungurawa, publicly reaffirmed their loyalty to Kwankwaso and the movement, highlighting his enduring influence despite the internal strains.
Political analysts view Kwankwaso’s conditional stance as a strategic positioning ahead of the 2027 elections.
By tying any APC consideration to ironclad assurances on governance continuity and supporter protection, he seeks to preserve leverage in negotiations while signaling openness to dialogue, potentially avoiding outright confrontation with the governor’s momentum or federal-level APC overtures.
This approach contrasts with earlier reports of betrayal accusations against defecting elements and reflects Kwankwaso’s effort to maintain cohesion within the Kwankwasiyya base amid a fluid political landscape in Kano.
