Kano 2027: Epic Battle Looms Between Kwankwaso and Yusuf, Public Reacts

Following Governor Abba Yusuf’s decision to join a large number of other state governors in attempting to survive until the national elections in 2027, the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) lost the sole state they held to the All Progressives Congress (APC) last month.

Kano recently had the largest political defection, according to reports, when Governor Yusuf broke with Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso and sided with Abdullahi Ganduje, Kwankwaso’s longtime foe and, some have referred to him as a political enemy.

The governor put survival over structure, power over heritage, and shelter over devotion in the eyes of NNPP supporters.

Concerns have also been raised regarding Kwankwaso’s perceived overbearingness, which has been linked to a similar choice Ganduje made during his tenure as governor.

Yusuf stated in his letter of resignation from the party that put him in power that he could no longer remain in the NNPP due to ongoing internal strife, unresolved leadership disputes at the state and national levels, protracted legal proceedings involving party leadership, severe divisions and member disenfranchisement, and a conviction that the party’s divisions had become irreconcilable. He also added that he believed that remaining in the party would no longer be in Kano State’s best interests.

The leader of the Kwankwasiyya group and the NNPP, Kwankwaso, a former governor and minister of defense, was distraught about Yusuf’s defection.

The day that Abba Yusuf, commonly known as Abba Gida-Gida, formally joined the APC on Monday, January 26, 2026, should be remembered globally as a day of “betrayal,” according to the former governor.

Following the Governor’s defection, the NNPP’s 2023 presidential candidate stated, “Today, as the leader of this movement, I declared the 23rd of January as Betrayal Day.”

“To ensure that there is a worldwide awareness of betrayal and the breach of trust, we think that day should be permanently documented in history.”

In a different interview with BBC Hausa, Kwankwaso stated that Abba Yusuf would lose the 2027 governorship race if he permits Ganduje to officially raise his hand.

“I knew right away that Abba would lose any election when I saw Ganduje raise Abba’s hand,” he claimed. Kano residents do not back Gandujiyya. In addition to losing the 2019 election, Ganduje’s candidacy also lost in 2023. Abba won’t win in 2027, then.

The state’s APC swiftly retaliated, claiming through Bala Ibrahim, its director of publicity, that “Ganduje has raised the hands of many governorship candidates, and they have emerged victorious.”

“His support has continuously resulted in victories for the governors of Imo, Kogi, Osun, and other places. Kwankwaso needs to look at how many hands he and Ganduje raised and the triumphs that followed. Abba isn’t an exception.

“Ganduje’s hands are genuinely hands of victory. Victoria ascertainta. Due to the great accomplishments made possible by the Renewed Hope Agenda, our party is well-liked in Kano and has the backing of the populace. Thus, our party and its candidates will undoubtedly win in 2027.

“Kwankwaso has previously run against the APC and lost. Thus, losing to the APC is not a recent occurrence. It is evident that there is no win for Kwankwaso or the opposition party in Kano State, and no amount of hyperbole can alter the course of events.

Furthermore, Buba Galadima, the secretary of the NNPP Board of Trustees, told Arise News that the governor’s decision to join the APC was motivated by his own interests rather than Kano’s.

“I would say that Governor Yusuf made a good transition if he had switched from the NNPP to an other party than the APC. But in this instance, it is solely about survival—not about the Kano people or the peace in Kano that he wanted us to accept.

And I want to be clear that this betrayal is the third in global history, after Judas’s betrayal of Jesus and Brutus’ betrayal of the Caesars. Now, the one that Kano Governor Yusuf just declared is the third that should be added to the Guinness Book of Records.

For this reason, our leader had requested that we designate January 23rd as the biggest betrayal day in history. I’m well over 75, and if anything could make me cry, it must have moved me deeply since I don’t give in to emotions like that.

When asked what happened to Kwankwaso, NNPP National Youth Leader Amb. Auwal Musa Muhammad responded, “The NNPP structure throughout the federation—at the national, state, LGA, ward, and grassroots levels—remains firmly loyal to Kwankwaso.” Trust, philosophy, consistency, and years of demonstrated leadership are the foundations of this loyalty.

“Political decisions motivated by convenience or self-interest cannot undermine the NNPP. Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is not a coincidental figure in politics.

His political career encompasses decades of service, sacrifice, and people-focused governance, making him a tried-and-true, reliable, and results-driven leader. His accomplishments while serving as Kano State’s governor are still evident and substantiated.

We congratulate His Excellency, Abba Kabir Yusuf, the governor of Kano State, well in his personal political decision to join the APC. Politics is involved.

But neither Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso nor the NNPP’s organizational framework or political clout—in Kano State or nationally—are impacted in any manner by this ruling.

“Defectors are not in competition with Senator Kwankwaso. His stance is based on legacy, ideology, and a strong political foundation that has been established over time. Rather than switching political platforms, political significance is gained via service, consistency, and public trust.

“The NNPP is still intact, cohesive, disciplined, and steadfastly committed to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.” Rather than being based on convenience, this party is based on organization, doctrine, and grassroots power.

“History cannot be erased by defection. Structure cannot be destroyed by a single decision. NNPP is steadfast, cohesive, and strong.

In addition, Chief Peter Ameh, a former presidential contender and activist, stated that Governor Yusuf will not be able to regain power following the 2027 governorship election.

“I believe that those who are assuming Kwankwaso has fallen are misinterpreting the facts. They are stubborn, and the facts are extremely plain.

Kwankwaso ran Yusuf for governor in 2019, which is noteworthy. He wasn’t a governor. They fought hard to try to overthrow the APC’s authority and power of state, relying on the Kwankwasiyya’s structure; they won the election, but it was rigged.

Although there was a withdrawal, no surrender took place. They returned in 2023. They ran for office and defeated Ganduje using all of the federal government’s power, including all of the federal structure and all of the state’s power.

Since no one in Nigeria knew Abba Yusuf, Kwankwaso became governor. The Kwankwasiyya movement helped him become governor.

“And since Kwankwaso is the one initiating and directing the conversation, Yusuf should be terrified of the repercussions of his actions as long as he stays in the NNPP and does not join the APC.

I am convinced that Abba Yusuf would be disciplined in 2027 because I am furious with the Kano people, who have political views that differ from those of other regions of this nation.

“The dynamics of our election have evolved. The days of ballot box stuffing, rewriting outcomes without a vote, and democratic theft of electoral mandates are over.

With Kwankwaso or not, the Kano State Government has insisted that Abba Yusuf will easily win the general election in 2027.

The government denied that Yusuf cannot win a second term without the help of political godfathers, stating that public support and performance are what will determine whether he is re-elected.

Responding to comments ascribed to Galadima, Ibrahim Waiya, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, said in a statement that supporters of the governor should close their eyes since victory is certain.

“Kano functions according to its own civic memory, political consciousness, and historical rhythm.

He declared that the electorate, whose allegiance has always been conditioned on performance, character, trust, and trustworthiness, ultimately holds the power in the state.

However, through its National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, the NNPP warned the Governor of an imminent disaster and reminded him that “this is not the first time such a betrayal has occurred in the political history of Kano.”

Most of the elected officials, including almost all local government chairmen and council members, 120 out of 126 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, and the majority of Kano representatives in the National Assembly, joined the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP) after Alhaji Abubakar Rimi defected from the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in the early 1980s.

Nevertheless, the people gave a clear decision: Mallam Aliyu Sabo Bakin Zuwo of the PRP defeated Rimi in the 1983 gubernatorial election, placing him in second place. Even more significant is the fact that only one of the 120 state assembly members who defected with Rimi was re-elected; this should serve as a harsh reminder to any politician who is considering a career in treason.

History has repeatedly demonstrated that persons who compromise honor for dishonesty and loyalty for expediency almost never escape public censure. The masses of Kano will eventually be loyal to principled leadership because the truth never fades.

Following a terrible fire catastrophe, Kwankwaso and Yusuf made separate appearances to show their support for vendors at Singer Market in Kano on Thursday, testing their popularity.

Supporters cheered Kwankwaso when he arrived at the market initially, and they also cheered Governor Yusuf when he visited a few hours later.

Kwankwaso’s arrival and greeting served as a reminder that the godfather’s influence is still felt throughout the state, and Governor Yusuf promised financial help and prompt government involvement to the impacted traders.