Mass Defection Rocks Kano As 22 Lawmakers Dump NNPP For APC After Governor Yusuf’s Exit

No fewer than 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly have dumped the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a major political shake-up in the state. The lawmakers announced their defection on Monday during plenary, shortly after Governor Abba Yusuf formally resigned from the NNPP following his recent visit to President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja. In his resignation letter addressed to the chairman of the Diso–Chiranchi Ward in Gwale Local Government Area, Yusuf blamed his decision on what he described as “deepening internal crises” and “prolonged leadership disputes” within the party. The governor’s move was carried out alongside 22 state lawmakers, eight members of the House of Representatives, and all 44 local government chairmen in Kano State, marking one of the largest mass defections in the state’s political history. Among the defecting lawmakers are Speaker Jibril Falgore (Rogo), Deputy Speaker Muhammad Bello Butu Butu (Tofa/Rimin Gado), Majority Leader Lawan Hussain (Dala), Deputy Majority Leader Garba Shehu Fammar (Kibiya), and Chief Whip Muddasir Ibrahim Zawachiki (Kumbotso). A video shared on X by user @Imranmuhdz captured the moment Speaker Falgore called each lawmaker to publicly declare their new political affiliation on the floor of the assembly. Announcing his defection, Rabiu Shuaibu (Dawakin Kudu) said, “I, Shuaibu Rabiu, representing Dawakin Kudu, resign my membership of the NNPP to the APC with immediate effect from today (Monday).” Tukur Mohammed (Fagge) also confirmed his decision, saying, “Mr Speaker, I am here to confirm I am resigning my membership of the NNPP and joining the APC.” Other lawmakers who moved to the APC include Zakariyya Abdullahi Nuhu (Gabasawa), Lawal Tini (Ajingi), Musa Tahir Haruna (Albasu), Ali Lawan Alhassan (Bagwai/Shanono), Ali Muhammad Tiga (Bebeji), Hafiz Gambo (Bunkure), Murtala Muhammad Kadage (Garko), Abdulmajid Isah Umar (Gwale), Ahmad Ibrahim (Karaye), Alhassan Zakari (Kura/Garun Malam), Suleiman Mukhtar Ishaq (Madobi), Abdulhamid Abdul (Minjibir), Muhammad Ibrahim (Rano), Kabiru Sule Dahiru (Tarauni), and Ali Abdullahi Manager (Wudil). Reacting earlier to Governor Yusuf’s defection, NNPP national leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso described the development as a betrayal and declared January 23 as “World Betrayal Day.” Kwankwaso was instrumental to Yusuf’s emergence as Kano governor in the 2023 election through the Kwankwasiyya political movement.

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BREAKING: Kano Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf Resigns From NNPP

Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has officially resigned from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), citing persistent internal conflicts and leadership disputes within the party. The announcement was made on Friday by his spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa. Yusuf submitted a resignation letter to the Chairman of the NNPP in Diso-Chiranchi Ward, Gwale Local Government Area, effective January 25, 2026. In the letter, the governor expressed gratitude to the party for providing him a political platform and for the support of its leadership and members across Kano State since 2022. However, Yusuf said unresolved leadership disagreements and ongoing legal battles within the party made it increasingly difficult to maintain cohesion. “In recent times, the party has faced persistent internal challenges arising from leadership disagreements and ongoing legal processes, many of which are presently before the courts,” he noted. He added that the disputes have caused growing disenfranchisement among members, deep divisions within the party structure, and uncertainty at both the state and national levels. “After careful reflection, and without prejudice to the party’s ability to resolve its challenges, I have concluded that my resignation is in the best interest of the people of Kano State,” Yusuf said, emphasizing that his decision was made in good faith and without bitterness. He reaffirmed his commitment to peace, unity, and the continued development of Kano State despite leaving the NNPP.

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Father of Suspect in Kano Family Killings Calls for Son’s Execution

Malam Auwal, father of Umar Auwal, the prime suspect in the brutal killing of seven family members in Dorayi Chiranchi, Kano, has urged authorities to punish his son without delay. Umar, currently in police custody, is accused of murdering his aunt, Fatima Abubakar, and her six children in broad daylight on Saturday. The victims have been identified as Maimuna (17), Aisha (16), Bashir (13), Abubakar (10), Faruk (7), and Abdussalam, aged one and a half. Police confirmed that Umar confessed not only to the Dorayi killings but also to a recent attack in Tudun Yola, where two housewives were murdered and their home set on fire. In an interview with Freedom Radio, Malam Auwal distanced himself from his son, describing him as “useless to society” and insisting that he should be executed rather than imprisoned. “What he committed against my younger sister and her six children, my wife’s younger sister and her co-wife is condemnable. I distance myself from him,” he said. He also claimed that Umar had previously killed his younger sister years ago, even removing her eyes. “I don’t even want them to waste time on prosecution. Umar and his likes are supposed to be eliminated. They are not supposed to be remanded and fed with taxpayers’ money,” he added. Malam Auwal commended the police for their handling of the case and revealed that neither he nor Umar’s mother would attend any court proceedings during the trial, saying he had already “sacrificed” his son.

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Kano State Suspends Three Hospital Staff After Surgical Scissors Left In Patient, Causing Death

The Kano State Hospitals Management Board has suspended three medical workers at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre following the death of Aishatu Umar, a mother of five, after surgical scissors were mistakenly left inside her body. Umar died on January 11, 2026. Umar had undergone a medical procedure at the hospital in September 2025. She later experienced severe discomfort, and subsequent scans revealed the surgical scissors inside her stomach. The case came to public attention after her brother shared the story online, prompting widespread outrage and demands for justice. The Hospital Management Board, through its Public Relations Officer Samira Suleiman, confirmed that a preliminary investigation ordered by Executive Secretary Dr. Mansur Mudi Nagoda verified the surgical negligence. The three personnel directly involved have been immediately suspended from clinical duties, and the matter has been referred to the Kano State Medical Ethics Committee for further investigation and appropriate disciplinary action under professional and legal guidelines. “The Board extends its deepest condolences to the family of the late Aishatu Umar and sympathizes with them over this painful loss. We reassure the public that negligence will not be condoned in any form,” the statement added.

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Abba Kabir Yusuf Set To Dump NNPP For APC

Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is reportedly on the verge of dumping the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), unless there is a last-minute change of plans. Sources familiar with the development said the governor is prepared to defect with or without the approval of his long-time political mentor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. The move is said to have followed wide-ranging consultations with key stakeholders, including members of the Kano State House of Assembly, local government chairmen, and some federal lawmakers from the state. Momentum around the planned defection intensified on Sunday after a video circulated online showing Yusuf’s Director of Protocol, Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, announcing that political leaders in Rogo Local Government Area had agreed to follow the governor to the APC. Speaking alongside party officials, Rogo said influential figures within the Kwankwasiyya movement in the area had concluded that both Kwankwaso and Yusuf should move to the ruling party. “We at Rogo Local Government, under the leadership of Speaker Jibrin Ismail Falgore, myself, the council chairman, caucus leaders, elders, women and youth leaders, have resolved that Kwankwaso is our leader, and that he and Governor Yusuf should take us to APC,” Rogo said. “This resolution is in the best interest of our people, our country, and even Kwankwaso himself. We believe his presidential ambition can be realised in APC if we join now. We remain loyal to Kwankwasiyya, but for now, joining APC is the solution,” he added, while also calling on supporters to avoid abusive politics. Support for the planned switch also emerged from Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area. Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Director-General of Media and Publicity at the Kano Government House, backed the decision of his local caucus to follow Yusuf to the APC. The LGA chairman, Anas Danmaliki, acknowledged internal divisions within the Kwankwasiyya movement, saying it had split into pro-masses and anti-masses factions, but maintained that he and his councillors would stand with the governor. According to sources, Yusuf is expected to formally announce his defection in the first week of January. Meanwhile, Senator Kwankwaso reportedly summoned members of the Kano State House of Assembly to a meeting last Friday, where he admitted that the governor was set to leave the NNPP. He reportedly told lawmakers that anyone who wished to follow Yusuf was free to do so, but questioned the justification for the move, reminding them that the party won the 2023 elections “with nobody but God.” Another source disclosed that when the lawmakers later met with Yusuf, he described his decision to join the APC as “irreversible.” Yusuf remains the only governor elected on the NNPP platform in the 2023 general elections.

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Kano State House Of Assembly Mourns As Two Lawmakers Die Within An Hour

The Kano State House of Assembly was gripped by shock and mourning on Wednesday after two of its members died within an hour of each other. The Assembly’s spokesperson, Kamaludden Shawai, confirmed the incidents to PREMIUM TIMES. Aminu Sa’adu, the lawmaker representing Ungoggo Local Government Area, reportedly passed away on Wednesday morning following a brief illness. Shortly after, Sarki Aliyu, the representative for Kano Municipal LGA, also died. Shawai explained that Aliyu collapsed at the Assembly complex upon hearing the news of Sa’adu’s death. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The two lawmakers were close friends, and their sudden deaths have left the Assembly and their constituents in Ungoggo and Kano Municipal in deep shock. Lawmakers described the event as an unprecedented tragedy for Kano State’s political leadership.

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Thief Steals Toyota Hilux From Deputy Governor’s Convoy At Kano State Government House

A daring car thief reportedly made off with a Toyota Hilux van from the Deputy Governor’s convoy at the Kano State Government House in the early hours of Monday. According to DAILY NIGERIAN, the suspect gained entry to the premises through Gate 4 around 5 a.m. and later drove the vehicle out through the main gate. CCTV footage from the Government House reportedly captured the thief moving calmly through the compound before escaping with the Hilux. A source within the complex told the online publication, “The vehicle was part of the deputy governor’s convoy,” noting that security around the Deputy Governor’s office is usually heightened only during official working hours or when the deputy governor is present. The driver of the van, identified as Shafiu Sharp-Sharp, was briefly detained and interrogated as part of the ongoing investigation. “An investigation has been launched. The driver is being questioned, while the Chief Security Officer (CSO) is reviewing the CCTV footage,” the source added. As of the time of reporting, the Kano State Government has not released an official statement regarding the theft.

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Kano Protesters Take To Streets To Reject Trump’s Allegations Of Christian Genocide

Massive protests erupted in Kano State on Saturday as Islamic groups marched to denounce U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent statements on Nigeria’s security situation. Demonstrators flooded the streets with placards reading “We condemn Trump’s threat to attack Nigeria,” “There is no Christian genocide in Nigeria,” and “America wants to control our resources,” rejecting claims of a Christian genocide in the country. Trump had earlier labeled Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged persecution of Christians and warned that the U.S. military could step in if the killings continued. The Nigerian government has dismissed these allegations, describing them as false, misleading, and an attempt to misrepresent the country’s security challenges.

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