Author: Gist Correspondent

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has officially resigned from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), a development that has sent shockwaves through the state’s political landscape and significantly weakened the Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso–led party structure in its traditional stronghold.

The governor’s resignation takes effect from January 25, 2026, according to a statement released on Friday by his spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa. Yusuf conveyed his decision in a formal letter addressed to the NNPP Chairman of Diso-Chiranchi Ward in Gwale Local Government Area, where he is registered as a party member.

In the letter, Governor Yusuf thanked the NNPP for offering him the platform to contest the 2023 governorship election and for the support he enjoyed from party leaders and members across Kano State since 2022. However, he attributed his decision to quit the party to persistent leadership crises, unresolved internal disputes and prolonged legal battles that have continued to destabilise the NNPP.

He noted that growing disenfranchisement among members had created deep internal divisions, leading to cracks within the party that now appear irreconcilable. According to him, the situation has weakened party cohesion at both state and national levels and diverted attention from effective governance and service delivery.

The governor said his decision followed extensive consultations and careful consideration, stressing that it was taken in the overall interest of Kano State and its people. He maintained that his exit from the NNPP was done in good faith, without bitterness, and reaffirmed his commitment to peace, unity and the development of the state.

Yusuf’s resignation has also triggered a large-scale defection from the NNPP across Kano State. No fewer than 21 members of the Kano State House of Assembly have reportedly resigned their membership of the party alongside the governor.

In addition, eight members of the House of Representatives elected on the NNPP platform, as well as 44 local government chairmen across the state, are said to have followed the governor out of the party.

Political observers say the coordinated nature of the exits underscores the depth of internal discontent within the NNPP, particularly in Kano, which has remained the party’s strongest base since the 2023 general elections. They describe the development as one of the most significant setbacks for a ruling party structure in the state’s recent political history, with far-reaching implications for the NNPP’s future.