By Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Bashir Bello
ABUJA — Barring further postponements, Governor Abba Yusuf will defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC, today, Kano State Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Abbas, has said.
Sources told Vanguard that the defection move was one of the reasons President Bola Tinubu met behind closed-doors with the Kano State governor, yesterday.
Yusuf’s expected defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, had caused APC leaders to delay membership e-registration in Kano, as the exercise started two weeks ago in many states and would end in two weeks time.
Regarding Yusuf’s defection to the APC, Abbas said: “Be on standby, we may call on you (journalists) Tuesday(today) depending on the arrival of the party leader, Ganduje and the governor in Kano, so you can start the work. But it will not exceed Wednesday.”
Kano APC chairman disclosed this while addressing about 1,500 ad hoc staff engaged by the party to conduct the e-registration in the state.
Parley with Tinubu
Governor Yusuf arrived at the Villa at about 4:10 pm, dressed in a white agbada and a red cap.
The meeting is coming on the heels of the heightened speculation over Yusuf’s planned defection from the NNPP to the ruling APC, a move that has been postponed multiple times since early January.
The governor’s visit to the Villa is his first known audience with President Tinubu since returning from Abu Dhabi, where the President attended the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
The governor is also reportedly seeking the right to nominate a minister to represent Kano State in the Federal Executive Council, FEC, and the authority to replace Kano-based federal appointees with his loyalists.
According to reports, Yusuf’s demands have placed him on a collision course with powerful figures within the APC, including Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, who is believed to be harbouring 2027 governorship ambition.
The defection speculation has also reportedly deepened political tension within Kano State, triggering strains between supporters of Governor Yusuf and loyalists of his political mentor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a key figure in the NNPP.
Attempts made to know the agenda of the meeting between the President and Governor Yusuf was futile, as he declined to talk to journalists after the parley.
Yusuf may register for a party membership card tomorrow
Insisting that Yusuf might register and collect the APC membership card between today and tomorrow, the party chairman said APC decided to delay the commencement of the e-registration until the APC leader in the state, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje and the governor arrive in the state either tomorrow, Tuesday or Wednesday after meeting with President Tinubu in Abuja.
Abbas, who said the party was targeting to surpass any state, including Lagos, however, called on the ad-hoc staff engaged for the exercise to register anyone who indicated interest in the party’s membership card and not to segregate.
He also said there would be a reward system by the party for local government areas and wards which mobilised and got the highest number of members during the exercise.
“Today is an important day for us. We commence the training of those who would carry out the APC e-registration.
‘’It’s very important because if you don’t do the registration, you are not an eligible member. Without it, you can’t vote, and you cannot be voted for. Because of the importance of the process, that is why those being trained are also important. It’s very important for you to discharge your responsibility with fear of God and due diligence.
“We are left behind. The exercise is being carried out nationwide. In Kano we are left behind. The process started about two weeks ago. Because of the political development in the state we could not start the process until now.
‘’Everybody is aware of the news of the Governor’s defection and we felt it is not polite to hurriedly commence the process without giving them the opportunity to join the party.
“APC is a democratic party for all– those occupying positions and the masses. The party needs everybody – both old and young to come on board. Even though people are suffering, before the election, the country will be better by God’s grace,’’ he said.
The post Kano: Gov Yusuf meets Tinubu, defects to APC today appeared first on Vanguard News.
