Kano State Governor, Mr. Abba Yusuf, is set to rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, January 26, 2026, following his resignation from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by the governor’s spokesperson, Mr. Bature Tofa.

According to the statement, Mr. Yusuf’s decision marks a return to the APC, which he first joined in 2014. He had emerged as the winner of the party’s primary election for the Kano Central Senatorial seat that year but later relinquished the ticket to Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Explaining the move, the statement said the governor was guided by “the prevailing realities of governance, national cohesion and development”, which made his return to the ruling party “both necessary and strategic”.

Mr. Yusuf was quoted as saying that the APC remains “a familiar and well-structured platform for progressive governance”, adding that rejoining the party would enhance cooperation with the Federal Government.

“By returning to the APC, we will be better positioned to accelerate infrastructural development, strengthen security coordination and improve service delivery across Kano State,” the governor said.

He added that the move would “consolidate political stability and unity in the state”, describing it as being in the overall interest of Kano residents.

The statement further disclosed that the governor would formally register as an APC member in Kano on Monday alongside 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives and all 44 local government chairmen in the state.

Mr. Yusuf is also expected to officially launch the APC’s e-registration exercise in Kano during the event.

Meanwhile, the governor has relieved his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Mr. Sunusi Surajo, of his appointment, further deepening the political upheaval in the state.

The dismissal came barely a day after the governor announced his resignation from the NNPP.

Mr. Surajo, a former chairman of Madobi Local Government Area and a prominent figure within the Kwankwasiyya political movement, was replaced by a former aide to the governor’s predecessor and former National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The move has been widely interpreted as a clear signal of the governor’s shifting political alignment.

Mr. Yusuf’s spokesperson, Mr. Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, confirmed the removal in a social media update, although no official reason was given for the decision.

Sources within Government House said the action forms part of a broader political recalibration following the governor’s exit from the NNPP, a party he accused of persistent internal instability and leadership disputes.

In his resignation letter addressed to the chairman of Diso-Chiranchi Ward in Gwale Local Government Area, Mr. Yusuf said his decision was driven by the need to protect the collective interests of Kano residents amid what he described as unending crises within the party.

“The NNPP has been engulfed by internal disagreements and legal battles that continue to undermine its unity across the country,” the letter stated.

“These issues have weakened cohesion and distracted the party from its responsibility to the people.”

The governor’s departure has triggered a wave of defections, with all 44 local government chairmen, 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly and eight federal legislators publicly declaring their loyalty to him.

However, the mass defection has fractured the Kwankwasiyya movement, leaving the state cabinet deeply divided.

A senior political source disclosed that the Deputy Governor, Mr. Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has chosen to remain aligned with Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and will not defect alongside the governor.