Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has distanced himself from claims that he will defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) alongside Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf. The NNPP described such reports as false and misleading, emphasising that Kwankwaso and the party leadership have not approved any move to join the ruling party.

The party’s Kano State Chairman, Hashim Dungurawa, stated that neither Kwankwaso nor the NNPP’s national leadership has agreed to defect with the governor. He described suggestions of a joint defection as unfounded.

Rumours about Governor Yusuf’s anticipated defection from the NNPP to the APC have stirred tension within the party, deepening divisions between supporters of the governor and loyalists of the Kwankwasiyya movement founded by Kwankwaso. In response, the NNPP has dissolved its Kano State executive and all local government and ward leadership teams, preparing for possible changes linked to the governor’s move. Caretaker committees are expected to be appointed soon.

The political realignment comes ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Governor Yusuf’s expected move to the APC — though reportedly postponed to allow further consultations — signalling a potential shift in Kano’s political landscape.