Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has declared that it was God, not any individual, who gave him power in 2023, as he navigates the political fallout from his resignation from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), which has triggered mass resignations of loyalists to Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso from his administration.
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“In 2023, it was God who gave me power, not anybody, and I still thank and appreciate him as the only one who would allow me to continue in 2027,” Governor Yusuf declared while presenting hundreds of motorcycles to his social media handlers on Saturday.
The governor emphasized that “Kano first and not loyalty to anybody, and everybody should know that he is not bigger than Kano, shall be loyal to Kano.”
Following Governor Yusuf’s resignation from the NNPP on Friday, loyalists of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso serving under the governor’s administration have continued to tender resignations of their political appointments to register their displeasure over the move to dump the NNPP against the wish of their political godfather.
A Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Sunusi Sirajo, in a short video on social media, said he was resigning his appointment due to the governor’s resignation from NNPP.
He said he chose to resign as he doesn’t want to be party to betrayal and as such declared his sole loyalty to Kwankwaso.
“After we got information that the governor has left the NNPP and there are expectations that he will join the APC, I submitted my resignation letter, but it was not accepted. I also sent the letter to the office of the Secretary to the State Government, but it was refused,” Sunusi explained.
“I am making this video to publicly inform everyone that I have resigned my position as a political adviser. I appreciate the opportunity to serve and the work we did together over the past two years.”
However, in a swift reaction, the governor through his spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, announced the appointment of a new Special Adviser on Political Matters, Mustapha Hamza Buhari to replace Sunusi Sirajo.
The governor’s spokesman had stated on his Facebook wall: “Gov. Yusuf fires Sunusi Surajo Kwankwaso and replaced him with Mustapha Bakwana.”
Others who resigned include the Provost, Anti-corruption Institute, Sumaila Abdullahi Esq; the Managing Director of Kano Zoo, Sadiq Kura Mohammad; and Senior Special Assistant on Intergovernmental and Foreign Affairs, Abdullahi Ahmad Namama, among others.
The flags of the New Nigeria People’s Party have been removed from the Kano State Government House. The spokesperson to Governor Yusuf, Sanusi Bature, was seen in a short video removing the party’s flag from the seat of power.
A visit by correspondents to the government house also observed removal of the flags from the main entrance.
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Kano State, Abdulmajid Dambiliki, has threatened to align his group with the Kwankwasiyya Movement if the APC denied the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, the governorship ticket of the party in the 2027 polls.
Dambiliki made the remarks while reacting to Governor Yusuf’s resignation from NNPP, expressing fears that the governor’s re-election would face challenges given the strong contenders for the position.
“Senator Barau has been a major financier of Kano APC and the leader of the party in the state. We would not allow anyone coming overnight to dash our hope,” Dambiliki stated.
“I do not need to tell you how powerful Kwankwaso is in Kano politics. The common men are still with him, especially with what Governor Yusuf did to him. He’s garnering more support from the masses.”
He added: “I have already made it clear that as far as the issue of the APC governorship ticket is concerned, only Barau can ask us to back and support Governor Yusuf; otherwise, we are ready to go back to the grassroots and tell them to go the other way round.”
Despite the political tension, the Kano State Government has asked supporters of Governor Yusuf to resist the temptation of making inflammatory remarks or insulting the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The Director General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Kano, Bature Tofa, warned that any such acts would not be tolerated by the government.
“We will not accept indiscipline or insults against the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Anybody who engages in such behaviour will face the consequences. We will not accept it,” he said during the distribution of motorcycles to residents at the Open Space Theatre, Government House.
He urged supporters of the governor to exercise restraint and maturity, particularly amid heightened political tension following recent political realignments in the state.
Some Kwankwasiyya youth groups in Kano State said they would support the governor in his latest move only on the condition that he would address alleged marginalization and lack of youth inclusion in governance.
Their spokesman, Aminu Abdullahi, popularly known as Alhaji Warkal, said they would move with the governor “if the government genuinely carries the youths along and gives them a sense of belonging.”
Abdullahi claimed that many young people who worked for the success of the Kwankwasiyya movement and the NNPP during the 2023 elections were abandoned after victory was achieved.
“These youths sacrificed their time, energy and resources to bring the government into power. But after that, they were not involved in programmes, consultations or opportunities that concern them. You don’t expect young people to follow blindly when they are not embedded in governance. Youth engagement is key to reducing crime and social tension,” he stated.
Founder of NNPP, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, said Governor Yusuf did not resign from the party but from the Kwankwasiya Movement, led by Kwankwaso.
Aniebonam in a statement noted that the resignation letter from the governor was not addressed to the NNPP authentic National Working Committee led by Dr Major Agbo nor the state chairman or the ward secretary but to a member of the Kwankwasiya movement in Diso-Chiranchi Ward in Gwale Local Government Area.
“The NNPP NWC does not recognise the Kwankwasiya movement’s ward chairman as chairman of the party,” Aniebonam stated.
He revealed that the NNPP lifted the governor’s suspension from its membership and directed that he took responsibility of its leadership, being the highest elected officer of the party.
“The NNPP is a registered political party whereas the Kwankwasiya movement was a pressure group in the party, and the Memorandum of Association with it was terminated, and the entire defunct NWC, led by Dr Ahmed Ajuji expelled for anti party activities after the 2023 presidential elections,” Aniebonam explained.
“We blame the tragedy of members in Kano wanting to opt out on the high handedness of Kwankwaso, which is highly regretted.”
The governor distributed 800 motorcycles to journalists and social media influencers as part of his push to partner with the media in promoting governance and democratic values.
Governor Yusuf noted the media’s critical partnership in governance, informing the public, and deepening democratic values. He appealed to beneficiaries to support his administration by objectively projecting its achievements and policies.
Abubakar Sanusi from Fagge Local Government Area lauded the governor for identifying with social media influencers, saying they would mobilise residents to highlight projects executed by the administration.
Speaking on the background of the historical creation of Kwankwasiyya Movement, the former Deputy Governor in the State, Professor Hafiz Abubakar, revealed that “I and five others created Kwankwasiyya Movement and even gave it a Red Cap symbol, not Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.”
He said: “Dr Yunusa Adamu Dangwani, Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, I, and others conscripted the acronym of Kwankwasiyya when the going was tough and we were somewhat on the sidelines. At times, we gave every support to Kwankwaso to survive the political tsunamis on him by the political bigwigs in Kano, and that was how we created the movement.”
Professor Hafiz Abubakar frowned at the attitudes of Kwankwaso of not appreciating anybody, believing that he knows it all.
“That bad behavior sent all those loyal to him away, leaving him alone. We thought Kwankwaso would do like late Mallam Aminu Kano, who believed that others created NEPU, PRP and the Sawaba movements, giving them credit at every moment, alas, that was not the case with Kwankwaso,” he clarified.
Governor Yusuf said: “Even all the much talks about 2027 is a misplaced priority, because who knows whether he will make it to tomorrow, talk less of 2027.”
He said what is his major concern today is Kano, and Kano first. “We have to get it right to have our full peace and security before talking about anything, and that is my major problem now, not anything.”
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