The Director General of the Kano State Signage and Advertising Agency, Kabiru Dakata, has refuted claims that Governor Abba Yusuf abandoned the New Nigeria Peoples Party out of personal ambition.
Dakata made the clarification on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, stating that the governor’s intended switch to the All Progressive Congress (APC) was motivated by the need to align Kano State with the federal government.
He explained that states governed by the APC tend to enjoy greater benefits from the Federal Government than those controlled by opposition parties.
According to him, Yusuf’s defection would position Kano to attract increased funding and federal interventions.
“The neighbouring states that are in the All Progressive Congress (APC) are benefiting more from the centre than Kano State, and I don’t see it as something wrong for the centre to favour states that are under the political party — that is the All Progressive State (APC). So it is not an indictment.
“It’s an opportunity for the party to do better in the state controlling,” he said.
Dakata added that political leaders should be supported if they believe another platform would enable them to deliver better governance.
“If a political leader believes that he can perform better on a particular platform, I think he should be encouraged to take that step. So that’s all about it; it is not about his personal ambition,” he stated.
He further revealed that a major project in the state, which had previously stalled due to lack of funds, had now received financial approval following the governor’s alignment with the Federal Government.
“All three past governors tried their best, His Excellency Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Abdullahi Umar Ganduje all tried their best. When His Excellency Abba Yusuf Kabir came, he did part of the project, and completed part of the project.
“Because of this alignment, the Federal Government has approved more than ₦46 billion for the project, that is the Wuju-Wuju project,” he said.
“Not about his personal interest, and a political leader believes that he can perform on a particular platform, I think he should be encouraged to take that step,” Dakata added.
Gov’s Defection
The Kano State governor resigned from the NNPP last week after weeks of speculation and is expected to officially join the APC on Monday, January 26, 2026.
He communicated his decision in a resignation letter addressed to the chairman of the NNPP Diso-Chiranchi Ward in Gwale Local Government Area, effective January 23, 2026. In the letter, Yusuf cited persistent internal disputes and the need to safeguard the collective interests of Kano residents as reasons for his exit.
He noted that the disagreements had intensified divisions and eroded unity within the party.
However, the National Working Committee of the New Nigeria Peoples Party criticised Yusuf’s resignation, describing it as a betrayal of the mandate given to him by the electorate.
In a statement signed by the NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, the party rejected the governor’s claim of unresolved internal crises, insisting the allegation was baseless and raised after his decision to leave.
The development has also worsened tensions between Yusuf and a former governor of the state, Musa Kwankwaso, who leads the Kwankwasiyya Movement — a powerful grassroots bloc that has long influenced Kano politics.