•Governor may pick Rurum as deputy gov after rumoured defection

New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has distanced itself from the planned defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Besides, the party reaffirmed its strong loyalty to its national leader and founder of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Addressing journalists yesterday, State NNPP Chairman, Hashim Dungurawa, insisted that Yusuf’s planned defection was a gross betrayal of the party’s trust, maintaining that Kwankwaso would remain in NNPP.

Dungurawa urged the governor to respect the sanctity of the party and withdraw his political alignment with APC, cautioning against making party leadership and members of the NNPP caucus sign any document at Government House. His words: “On behalf of the NNPP party in Kano State and at the national level, and all the segments of this blessed movement — such as CRC/Lafiya Jari/Kano Propa/Kwankwasiyya, our teeming youths and women, and patriotic citizens, I wish to inform you that we are aware of the developments happening here in Kano State concerning some individuals who intend to defect to the APC.

“I want to make it clear that the Kano State party, the national party, and our national leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, together with other leaders, do not approve of what is happening. In fact, we did everything within our power to persuade them to be patient and not defect to the APC, because of our responsibility to them and our responsibility to the people of Kano; however, that has become difficult.

“Therefore, on behalf of all of us collectively, we once again appeal to them, for the sake of Allah and the Prophet, not to leave this party and not to defect to the party that we have opposed and which the masses and other voters have rejected.”

RELATEDLY, Governor Yusuf may pick Kabiru Alhassan Rurum as deputy governor after the rumoured decampment, which close political associates said had been billed for January 6, 2026.

The development followed recent endorsements of the planned move by party stakeholders from the Dawakin Tofa and Rogo council areas of the state. Sources disclosed that the governor had intensified consultations with key political actors across Kano, including members of the National Assembly, lawmakers of the Kano State House of Assembly, and local government chairmen, ahead of the APC congresses scheduled for February.

A source familiar with the development said several NNPP lawmakers, including the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Yusuf Falgore, have endorsed the governor’s planned defection.

Political insiders further revealed that the anticipated realignment had also triggered discussions around the office of the deputy governor. According to one source, the APC’s 2023 deputy governorship candidate, Murtala Sule Garo, has been dropped in favour of Rurum.