Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has formally resigned his membership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), citing deepening internal crises and protracted legal disputes that he stated have weakened the party’s cohesion nationwide. The resignation, effective from Friday, 23rd January 2026, was disclosed in a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa. Governor Yusuf communicated his decision in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the NNPP in Diso–Chiranchi Ward, Gwale Local Government Area.

In his resignation letter, Governor Yusuf expressed profound gratitude to the NNPP for providing him with a political platform since 2022, acknowledging that the support received contributed significantly to his emergence and governance. He stated, “I write with a deep sense of gratitude to formally notify the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) of my decision to resign my membership of the party, with effect from Friday, 23rd, January 2026.”

The governor attributed his decision to persistent internal challenges, specifically pointing to leadership disagreements and ongoing legal processes that have continued to destabilise the party at both state and national levels. He noted that these internal rifts have created deep divisions among members and generated uncertainty, leading to cracks within the party structure that appear increasingly irreconcilable. Yusuf clarified that his resignation followed careful reflection and was strictly guided by the public interest of Kano residents, stating it was taken “in good faith, without any ill will.”

The governor’s exit was accompanied by a significant wave of defections, including 21 members of the Kano State House of Assembly (among them the speaker, Ismail Falgore), eight members of the House of Representatives, and all 44 local government chairmen in the state, along with most of his commissioners and local ward executives. This mass defection indicates a planned realignment with the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a major political shift in Kano State.

However, not all NNPP officials joined the governor’s defection. Deputy Governor Aminu Abdulsalam elected to remain in the NNPP, affirming his loyalty to the party’s leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso. Similarly, Senator Rufa’i Hanga, representing Kano central district, and several members of the House of Representatives, including Mukhtar Yarima, Abdulkarim Ado, Sani Wakili, and Tijjani Abdulkadir, also decided to stay with the NNPP. Earlier, Mr. Kwankwaso had advised his supporters, who were facing pressure to join the APC, to do so if necessary.

The resignation letter was acknowledged by Hon. Kabiru Zubairu, the NNPP Secretary of Diso–Chiranchi Ward, who concurred with the governor on the lingering crisis within the party. Zubairu, while accepting the resignation, commended Governor Yusuf’s performance in office, highlighting his laudable projects in infrastructure development, urban renewal, health, education, and economic empowerment.

This development marks the end of Governor Yusuf’s decades-long political association with Mr. Kwankwaso, whom he served as personal assistant and commissioner before being elected governor in 2023. The profound political realignment in Kano State, following the governor's meeting with President Bola Tinubu on January 19, is set to reshape the region’s political landscape ahead of future contests.