Kwankwaso’s son, other Kano commissioners step aside as defection, cabinet reshuffle loom

Mustapha Kwankwaso, the Kano State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, is set to vacate his office amid indications of an imminent defection by Governor Abba Yusuf from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

Mustapha is the eldest son of former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is the leader of the NNPP in the state.

While Governor Yusuf has yet to publicly announce his defection, aides close to him and members of the Kano State House of Assembly have confirmed plans for him to leave the NNPP, attributing the decision to deepening legal crises within the party.

A report by PREMIUM TIMES said that the younger Kwankwaso had already cleared his office and removed his personal belongings after his father openly opposed the governor’s planned political move.

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The elder Kwankwaso has since been holding strategic meetings at his Miller Road residence with members of the Kwankwasiyya movement who have resolved to remain in the NNPP.

In an effort to strengthen his political base, PREMIUM TIMES also reported that Rabiu Kwankwaso introduced a “loyalty register” at his residence to document elected officials and support groups committed to staying with the NNPP.

By Friday, several top government officials had reaffirmed their loyalty to Kwankwaso and declined to follow Governor Yusuf to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Among them are the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Yusuf Kofar-Mata; the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Adamu Aliyu; the Commissioner for Internal Security, Ibrahim Umar, a retired Air Force officer; and the Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Hamza Kachako.

Others said to have signed the loyalty register include the Head of Service, Abdullahi Musa; the Executive Secretary of the Kano State Scholarship Board, Musa Danzaki; and the Managing Director of the Kwari Textile Market, Hamisu Dogonnama.

The division has also affected the legislative arm. Senator Rufa’i Hanga (Kano Central) and House of Representatives members Mukhtar Yarima, Abdulkarim Ado, and Sani Wakili have all pledged allegiance to the Kwankwaso camp.

Despite this, Governor Yusuf reportedly maintains the support of the majority of NNPP lawmakers at both the federal and state levels.

However, some state legislators, including Yusuf Aliyu and Zakariyya Ishaq, have remained loyal to Kwankwaso, while the lawmaker representing Madobi Local Government Area—Kwankwaso’s home base—is said to be undecided.

Nevertheless, insiders describe the unfolding events as a “palace coup,” noting that Governor Yusuf has secured majority backing.

All 44 local government chairmen, their deputies, and most ward-level party executives are reported to have aligned with the governor ahead of the planned move to the APC.

The unfolding rift marks a major shift in Kano’s political landscape, as Governor Yusuf had, for nearly four decades, been regarded as one of Rabiu Kwankwaso’s most loyal political allies.