Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, is expected to formally register as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, 26 January 2026, after resigning from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Friday, 23 January 2026. Kano State is one of Nigeria’s most politically influential states and is located in the country’s north.
The plan was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday, 25 January 2026, by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Dawakin-Tofa. The statement said the governor’s decision to return to the APC was based on what it described as the current realities of governance, as well as the need for national cohesion and development.
According to the statement, Yusuf first joined the APC in 2014 and later emerged as the party’s candidate in the primary election for the Kano Central Senatorial seat. It added that he eventually stepped aside for Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a prominent political figure from Kano State in northern Nigeria.
Okay News reports that the governor believes his return to the APC will improve cooperation between Kano State and Nigeria’s Federal Government and speed up development projects across the state. The statement quoted Yusuf as saying the move would boost collaboration, accelerate infrastructure delivery, strengthen security coordination, and improve public services for residents.
The statement also said the governor’s decision is expected to promote political stability and unity in Kano, a state that often plays a major role in national elections due to its large population and voting strength.
On Monday, 26 January 2026, the statement added that Yusuf will register alongside 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, and the 44 local government chairmen in the state.
It further said the governor is expected to officially launch the APC electronic registration exercise in Kano on the same day, as part of efforts to expand and organise party membership across the state.
Separately, the report noted that there had been earlier expectations that Yusuf would be received into the APC on Saturday, 24 January 2026. It also cited a claim by an unnamed official that the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, had directed stakeholders aligned with the governor to work with the party’s Organising Secretary to finalise arrangements for the registration of Yusuf and his supporters.
Kano politics, like much of Nigeria’s multi-party system, is often shaped by shifting alliances and calculations ahead of future elections, with governors and key blocs seeking stronger ties at the national level to pursue their policy and development agendas.
