The Digest:
Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is set to formally rejoin the All Progressives Congress on Monday, January 26, days after resigning from the New Nigeria Peoples Party. His spokesperson confirmed the planned defection, stating the governor's decision is based on governance realities, national cohesion, and development. Yusuf, an early APC member in 2014, argued that rejoining the ruling party would strengthen cooperation with the federal government to accelerate infrastructure, security, and service delivery in Kano. He will register alongside 22 state lawmakers, eight federal representatives, and 44 local government chairmen.
Key Points:
- The defection significantly alters the political calculus in Kano, Nigeria's second-most populous state, boosting APC's national strength.
- Closer alignment with the federal government could improve access to central resources and projects for Kano's development.
- The mass movement of elected officials tests the resilience of the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya movement in their former stronghold.
- Yusuf's return to his original party completes a major political realignment with implications for the 2027 general elections.
- The governor frames the move as a pragmatic step for effective governance, seeking to transcend partisan lines for state progress.
Governor Yusuf's return to the APC marks a pivotal realignment in Nigerian politics, reshaping the balance of power in the North and setting the stage for the next electoral cycle.
Sources: Daily Post Nigeria, Vanguard
