NNPP Crisis Deepens: Kwankwaso’s Son To Leave Cabinet, Yusuf Defection Sparks Alarm

The Kano State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Kwankwaso, is reportedly preparing to step down from his position amid plans by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Mustapha, the eldest son of former Kano State governor and NNPP leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has not formally resigned nor been officially relieved of his duties. However, sources within the state government told Premium Times that he is expected to vacate his office either shortly before or after the governor’s formal departure from the party.

While Governor Yusuf has yet to publicly announce his defection, aides and members of the Kano State House of Assembly have confirmed his intention to leave the NNPP, citing growing legal and leadership disputes within the party.

Insiders revealed that Mustapha Kwankwaso had already cleared out his office, removing personal belongings, shortly after his father publicly opposed the governor’s planned move.

As tensions escalate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has intensified consultations at his Miller Road residence in Kano, hosting meetings with members of the Kwankwasiyya movement committed to remaining within the NNPP. To consolidate support, he reportedly opened a loyalty register at his home to document elected officials and political appointees loyal to the party.

By Friday, several senior state officials had reaffirmed allegiance to Kwankwaso, rejecting Governor Yusuf’s proposed shift to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Among those reportedly signing the register were the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Yusuf Kofar-Mata; the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Adamu Aliyu; the Commissioner for Internal Security, Ibrahim Umar; and the Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Hamza Kachako. Others included the Head of Service, Abdullahi Musa; the Executive Secretary of the Kano Scholarship Board, Musa Danzaki; and the Managing Director of Kwari Textile Market, Hamisu Dogonnama.

The divide has also reached the legislature. Senator Rufa’i Hanga (Kano Central) and House of Representatives members Mukhtar Yarima, Abdulkarim Ado, and Sani Wakili have aligned with the Kwankwaso camp. Meanwhile, while Governor Yusuf enjoys support from a majority of NNPP lawmakers at both the state and federal levels, some state legislators, including Yusuf Aliyu and Zakariyya Ishaq, have stayed loyal to Kwankwaso. The lawmaker representing Madobi Local Government, Mustapha’s hometown, reportedly remained undecided as of Friday.

Despite pockets of resistance, sources say the governor has secured overwhelming backing in what political insiders are calling a “palace coup,” with all 44 local government chairpersons, their deputies, and most ward-level party executives expected to join Yusuf in the APC.

This unfolding political drama marks a significant realignment in Kano, where Governor Yusuf had long been regarded as the staunchest loyalist of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.