Former, Director of Press Affairs to Governors Ibrahim Shakarau and Lecturer at Bayero University, Kano has thrown his weight behind defection of Governor Abbah, described the move as time bomb.
Professor Sule Ya’u Sule on TVC News, monitored by The Northern Star, The insights provided reflect the ongoing realignment within the Kano State political landscape as of January 10, 2026.
It will be recalled that the long-standing political alliance between Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and his mentor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has reached a critical breaking point.
According to a detailed analysis by veteran communications expert Professor Sule Ya’u Sule, the Governor has already consolidated his hold on Kano’s power structures ahead of a potential move to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Professor Sule, an Associate Professor at Bayero University Kano (BUK), shared these insights during a televised analysis. Reflecting on the history of Kano politics, he noted that this friction is not unprecedented.
“This happened during the Second Republic between Rimi and Aminu Kano, and even in the Third Republic when Kwankwaso came in in 1999 and parted ways with those who brought him in,” the Professor remarked.
The Numbers Behind the Defection
The BUK lecturer disclosed that Governor Yusuf is not planning a solitary exit from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Instead, he has reportedly built a formidable internal coalition.
Professor Sule claimed that before the plan to move became public, the Governor had already secured the signatures of 40 out of the 44 local government chairmen who agreed to follow him.
The analysis further indicated that the Governor is “good to go” because he also has the backing of 20 out of the 27 NNPP members in the State House of Assembly and 25 out of 30 commissioners in the cabinet.
Professor Sule Ya’u Sule of Bayero University Kano provides an in-depth analysis of the political friction between Governor Abba Yusuf and the NNPP leadership. (Video Credit: TVC News Nigeria)
Read Also: Kano Traffic Revolution: How New Solar Lights are Changing the 44 LGAs
“We expected this to happen a long time ago because if a governor, with all the powers he has, has to take instructions from another angle, then there will be a conflict one day,” Sule added. The Root of the Crisis
Addressing the specific causes of the fallout, Professor Sule pointed to a series of administrative clashes, specifically regarding local government spending and federal investigations.
“A contract awarded across Kano’s 44 local governments was initially denied by the governor but later linked to the NNPP leader’s brother,” Sule revealed.
He explained that these issues, coupled with the ICPC investigation into scholarship fund administration and Kwankwaso’s interference in the affairs of the Governor, all led to the disagreement.
A Strategic Move for 2027
From a strategic standpoint, Sule argued that the Governor’s move to the APC is essentially a quest for political survival.
He noted that the Governor has heard information that he will not be given a second-term slot in the NNPP.
“Moving to the APC is like an automatic ticket because the policy of the APC gives another slot to the serving governor, except if the governor declines then it will be given to another person,” the Professor explained
Professor Sule concluded his analysis by dismissing comparisons between the situation in Kano and the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.
He argued that while Governor Siminalayi Fubara has struggled with a lack of support in his State House of Assembly, Governor Yusuf enjoys a clear and commanding majority.
“The scenario is different from that of Governor Fubara because he has no members of the State House of Assembly supporting him, unlike Governor Abba, who has a clear majority in the State House of Assembly,” he concluded.
About The Author
