Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf's reported resignation from the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) has ignited a significant political controversy, drawing sharp reactions from various political figures and factions. The move, initially announced by the governor's spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, on Friday, January 23, was framed as an exit from the NNPP, sparking accusations of betrayal and setting the stage for a potential realignment of political power within the state.

Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the National Leader of the NNPP and patriarch of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, vehemently condemned Governor Yusuf's decision, terming it “a cold betrayal of a sacred trust.” Addressing his loyalists at his Miller Road residence in Kano, Kwankwaso declared January 23 as “World Betrayal Day.” This symbolic designation, inspired by social media commentators, underscores his full support for the annual commemoration of what he views as a profound act of disloyalty. He asserted that this day would henceforth be marked with special events to serve as a reminder of the transpired events.

The NNPP's National Working Committee (NWC), through its National Publicity Secretary Ladipo Johnson, echoed Kwankwaso's sentiments, expressing “profound anguish and deep disappointment.” The party dismissed Governor Yusuf’s claim of an “irredeemable crisis” within the NNPP as baseless and an afterthought. Johnson highlighted recent party congresses for its leadership from the ward to the national convention, held on December 20, 2025, which the governor himself attended and INEC supervised. The party also noted its participation and victories in two supplementary elections in August 2025, about three months prior, as evidence of stability. The NWC warned that Yusuf's action risks returning Kano State to “the very forces that have long opposed its progress and the aspirations of its people.”

Drawing on historical precedent, the NNPP reminded members of a similar political upheaval in the early 1980s when Alhaji Abubakar Rimi defected from the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) to the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP). This defection saw a mass exodus of elected officials, including nearly all local government chairpersons and councillors, 120 out of 126 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, and most Kano representatives in the National Assembly. However, the electorate delivered a “resounding verdict” in the 1983 gubernatorial election, where Rimi was humiliatingly defeated, and only one of the 120 state assembly members who joined him was re-elected. The NNPP presented this as a “sobering lesson to any politician contemplating the path of disloyalty.”

Meanwhile, the Kano State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed open arms and optimism regarding Governor Yusuf's potential defection to their ranks. State Secretary Ibrahim Zakari Sarina confirmed that the APC was hopeful Yusuf would formally join “in the coming days.” In a notable gesture, the party announced it had already reserved a special electronic registration number, 001, for the governor at his Chiranci-Diso ward, anticipating that he would bring a “large number of elected officials and political appointees” with him. Sarina described the development as a welcome boost for the party.

In a contrasting development, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), disputed reports that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf had resigned from the party itself. Aniebonam clarified on Saturday, January 24, that the governor had only exited the “Kwankwasiya Movement,” which he described as a defunct pressure group, not the registered political party. He pointed out that Yusuf's resignation letter was addressed to a Kwankwasiya Movement ward official in Diso-Chiranchi, Gwale LGA, not to the recognized NNPP National Working Committee led by Dr. Major Agbo, nor to the party’s state or ward executives. Aniebonam stated that neither he nor the party's Board of Trustees was officially informed of any such resignation.

Aniebonam further buttressed his argument by stating that the NNPP NWC does not recognize the Kwankwasiya Movement ward chairman as a party official. He also cited court judgments from the Abia State High Court and FCT High Court that he said directed INEC to recognize the Aniebonam-led NNPP leadership and cease dealings with the Kwankwasiya Movement. He reiterated that Yusuf and other Kano officials were elected on the NNPP platform, symbolized by the basket of fruits, distinct from the Kwankwasiya insignia. Aniebonam also placed blame for the political fallout in Kano on Senator Kwankwaso's “high-handedness,” calling it regrettable.

Amidst these conflicting narratives and political maneuvers, reports indicate that Governor Yusuf’s resignation was accompanied by that of 21 state lawmakers, eight House of Representatives members, and 44 local government chairmen in Kano State. Despite the deep divisions, the NNPP NWC urged the 1,019,602 people who cast their votes for Yusuf, as well as the wider populace, to “remain calm, patient, and restrained,” advocating against “acrimony or division.” The NWC concluded that “History has consistently shown that those who trade loyalty for expediency, and honour for deceit, rarely escape the judgment of the people. The truth endures, and the loyalty of Kano’s masses to principled leadership will ultimately prevail.”