The Peoples Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, and Labour Party have vigorously condemned the All Progressives Congress after Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf switched from the New Nigeria Peoples Party to the ruling party, asserting that this shift will not change the political landscape leading up to the 2027 general elections.
In response to the governor’s choice to align with the APC on Monday, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, and ADC’s Bolaji Abdullahi, expressed in distinct interviews with The PUNCH that the defection represents a moral failure instead of political strength, emphasizing that actions motivated by self-interest will not convert into votes for the governing party.
Furthermore, the faction’s Interim National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, cautioned against mistaking elite defections for broad public support, stressing that opposition parties will maintain a crucial role in the lead-up to the forthcoming elections.
The APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, expressed his approval of the Kano State governor joining the party, calling the defection a significant gain for the APC and a confirmation of its dedication to providing the benefits of democracy to Nigerians.
Despite the backing of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State and head of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Governor Yusuf declared his resignation from the NNPP on Friday, after weeks of speculation and increasing political tension in the state.
In the past few months, numerous PDP governors have joined the APC, such as Umo Eno from Akwa Ibom, Sheriff Oborevwori from Delta, Peter Mbah from Enugu, Douye Diri from Bayelsa, Agbu Kefas from Taraba, Siminalayi Fubara from Rivers State, and the latest being Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.
In addition to the governors, numerous prominent political individuals—including National Assembly representatives, state lawmakers, former governors, ex-ministers, and various party leaders—have also departed the PDP for the APC.
President Bola Tinubu and other APC officials have continually dismissed assertions that the ruling party seeks to create a one-party state after the governors’ defection, asserting that the APC is still inclusive and welcoming to all Nigerians.
Commenting on Yusuf’s resignation, the NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Oladipo Johnson, in a statement Friday, characterized the action as a betrayal of the Kano voters and a setback to the Kwankwasiyya Movement that the governor previously headed.
He noted that history demonstrates that individuals who exchange loyalty for ease and integrity for dishonesty seldom evade the people’s judgment.
NNPP stated, “We deeply regret that Governor Abba, a man entrusted by the people of Kano State on the strength of his decades of unwavering loyalty and dedicated service to the Kwankwasiyya Movement, has now chosen to betray that sacred trust. By this action, he risks returning the state to the very forces that have long opposed its progress and the aspirations of its people.
“It is noteworthy that our party, the NNPP, had recently conducted congresses for its leadership from the ward to the national convention, held on 20th December 2025, which the governor himself was present at, and INEC had supervised. The party had also participated in and won two supplementary elections for the Bagwai/Shanono and Ghari/Tsanyawa constituencies, respectively held in August 2025, about three months ago. The assertion he made of an irredeemable crisis in the party is therefore baseless and an afterthought.
“This is not the first time such a betrayal has occurred in the political history of Kano. In the early 1980s, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi defected from the People’s Redemption Party to the Nigerian People’s Party, taking with him the vast majority of elected officials—including nearly all local government chairmen and councillors, 120 out of 126 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, and most Kano representatives in the National Assembly.
“Yet, the electorate delivered a resounding verdict: In the 1983 gubernatorial election, Rimi was humiliatingly defeated by Mallam Aliyu Sabo Bakin Zuwo of the PRP, finishing second. Even more telling, of the 120 state assembly members who joined Rimi’s defection, only one was re-elected—an outcome that should serve as a sobering lesson to any politician contemplating the path of disloyalty.”
The party urged its members and the residents of Kano State to stay calm and refrain from conflict, stressing that the commitment of Kano’s people to principled leadership will ultimately prevail.
Despite opposition from the NNPP, Yusuf is set to officially join the APC today, signaling a significant change in Kano State’s political scene, as confirmed by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Tofa, in a statement issued on Sunday.
The statement emphasized that Governor Yusuf first became a member of the APC in 2014 to compete in the party’s primary for the Kano Central Senatorial position, which he conceded to Kwankwaso.
The governor of Kano State is preparing to formally join the APC in Kano, together with 22 members of the State House of Assembly, eight House of Representatives members, and all 44 local government chairpersons.
He is anticipated to launch the APC’s e-registration initiative in the state.
Speaking on the significance of the registration exercise, Yusuf stated, “This is not just a political move; it is a step to ensure that governance remains people-centered and that our developmental agenda reaches every corner of Kano State.”
Speaking on the broader implications of his return, he added, “Our focus is on building unity, strengthening political cooperation, and ensuring that the people benefit from effective governance, irrespective of party affiliations.”
Reflecting on his earlier years in the APC, the Kano governor said, “I am returning to a party I know, a platform where experience meets structure, and where we can collectively pursue progress for Kano State.”
In reaction, the PDP National Publicity Secretary accused Yusuf and other defecting governors of betraying their electoral mandate.
Speaking in an interview, Ememobong insisted that the APC would face defeat in 2027 despite the recent wave of defections.
He stated, “The troubling part is that this is not how the system is supposed to work. It does not address the issue of people who were elected, nor does it speak to the promises that were made. There are moral questions involved. A social contract exists between elected officials and the people, and that contract is entered into on the basis of a political party.
“Once elected on that platform, it is morally wrong to abandon it midway. If you intend to contest another election, you should wait until the end of your tenure and then contest on another platform. Alternatively, you should vacate the office and allow the party on whose platform you were elected to retain the mandate, especially when the party you are joining was a fierce opponent.’’
Continuing, he noted, “It is shocking that people now suffer from selective amnesia. After going through an election that was widely described as a political war, with all that transpired known to everyone, they simply take the fruits of that victory and hand them over to the APC, which was their main contender. All of this speaks to the moral deficiency of many political leaders, despite attempts by some to justify it.
“This will not count as an advantage for the ruling party in 2027. As I have said before, this does not diminish any political party. Electoral strength is determined only during elections, not by the defection of governors. Kano, for instance, remains an NNPP state until the next election.
“A governor may defect or plan to defect, but that does not change the political complexion of the state. If you look at the 2023 electoral map, it clearly shows that elections are contests decided by voters.
“This sudden push for defections is a sign of APC cowardice, not political strength. Presidential elections are not won by forcing people to defect or by making the electorate suffer.
“The people did not defect along with these governors or others who have joined the APC. The ruling party has failed, and Nigerians who have not defected and will not defect will vote the APC out. The Kano State governor and other defecting governors, who are holding mandates belonging to other parties, cannot save the ruling party.”
The ADC publicity secretary remarked that governors switching to the APC are looking for personal security instead of serving the public, stating that unsuccessful governors will not be capable of securing their states for the party in the 2027 elections.
Abdullahi stated, “Well, obviously, we do not doubt that he is joining for the same reason other governors have joined: to seek protection. They all know that the easiest way to secure a second term is by joining the ruling party. They believe that is where they will get a free ride into a second term.
‘’They also believe they are answering the call of the APC—that whoever joins their party, no matter how sinful he is, will have his sins forgiven. That is why they are joining. They are not joining because they believe what the ruling party is doing to their people is right, or because they care about the people. They do not care about the people; they only care about themselves. So we are not surprised.
“It is not an advantage for APC, because when governors defect, some of them have already failed their people. And joining the ruling party does not mean the people are joining them. We have evidence of this from the last election. In Delta State, the governor belonged to one party, yet another party won the election. The same thing happened in Edo, and the same in Lagos, as a matter of fact. So, the situation is not as bad as it is being portrayed. We do not see this as any real advantage for the ruling party.
“If elections are conducted freely and fairly in any of these states, most of these governors will realize that their approval ratings among their people are actually below 20 percent. They know exactly why they are doing what they are doing. So even within the APC, defeat awaits them all because of the zero performance of the governors and President Bola Tinubu.”
Usman, the LP Interim National Chairman, stated that the migration of political office holders does not necessarily convert into electoral dominance.
“I would reply by giving you a proverb in Hausa that says, ‘Just because all the governors have trooped to one side does not really mean that you should conclude that the opposition is not going to have any impact come 2027. I don’t really look at it like that,” she said.
She also questioned the rationale behind opposition governors abandoning their political programs in favor of the ruling party.
“Honestly, I don’t know what is making them flock to the APC. We hear a lot of news around. We hear stories of people who say that if you join the APC, your sins are forgiven. So, it could be that, I don’t know,” Usman added.
