January 19, 2026
Amidst growing speculation about his planned defection to the All Progressive Congress (APC), Abba Yusuf, the Kano State governor, on Monday met behind closed doors with Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting is the first engagement by Tinubu since his return from the United Arab Emirates, UAE, after participating in the 2026 edition of the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Week (ADSW2026).
The President has face serious criticisms over the defection of opposition Governors, as many fear that the development is capable of turning Nigeria into a one party state.
It is however, not very clear, if Yusuf, the only Governor elected on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has the blessing of his party to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kano, with 44 local governments, is the most populous state in Nigeria and has continued to attract the attention of the President because of its political advantages.
Last year, President Tinubu had held several meetings with Musa Kwankwaso, as leader of the NNPP and the Kwankwasiya Movement.
Speculation then was that Kwankwaso who was the NNPP presidential candidate in 2023, will replace Kashim Shettima as President Tinubu’s running mate in 2027.
But the move crashed soon after Umar Ganduje resigned from office as the APC national Chairman.
Yusuf has however, given conditions which the APC must meet if he defects to the ruling party. It was also gathered that in keeping with the tradition of others who have defected, he will be allowed to remain as the leader of the party in the State.
Others include the demands to be given powers to nominate Minister to represent Kano State, as well as have the authority to clear out current federal appointees in Kano and replace them with his loyalists.
The President and APC seem to have accepted his demands.
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