The Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, is facing intense political scrutiny and possible impeachment proceedings after refusing to follow Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in his defection from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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While the governor, alongside 22 of the 40 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives, and 44 local government chairmen, tendered their resignations from the NNPP on Friday, the Deputy Governor has openly reaffirmed his loyalty to the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
A senior aide to the governor told Daily Trust that plans were being considered to deploy loyal lawmakers in the House of Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against the deputy governor should he refuse to resign.
The aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that the initial plot was to remove the governor and replace him with his deputy when the planned defection started gaining traction. However, the plan reportedly collapsed after Kwankwaso discovered that most lawmakers expected to prosecute the move had already pledged allegiance to the governor.
According to sources within Yusuf’s camp, a counter-strategy now under consideration is to use the same bloc of lawmakers to impeach the deputy governor after the defection process is concluded, given Gwarzo’s continued alignment with Kwankwaso and his reported rejection of the APC move.
Prominent figures who have so far remained aligned with Kwankwaso include the Deputy Governor; the Head of Service, Abdullahi Musa; the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Adamu Aliyu Kibiya; and the Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Yusuf Ibrahim Kofarmata.
While the affected cabinet members have attended recent Executive Council meetings, they have been conspicuously absent from the governor’s public engagements since the defection process began. Instead, they have openly aligned with Kwankwaso, attending his political events.
A source familiar with the development said the government had not sidelined any official, explaining that the affected appointees chose to stay away to avoid possible victimisation.
“They cannot come out freely. Even supporters may put them on the spot. But the government has not sidelined them; they are just respecting themselves,” the source said.
With 13 existing APC members in the Assembly, the anticipated defection of the 22 lawmakers alongside the governor is expected to give the APC a comfortable majority of 35 members.
Those who resigned include the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Jibril Ismail Falgore (Rogo); Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Muhammad Bello Butu Butu (Tofa/Rimin Gado); Majority Leader, Lawan Hussain (Dala); Deputy Majority Leader, Garba Shehu Fammar (Kibiya); Chief Whip, Muddasir Ibrahim Zawachiki (Kumbotso); and Majority Whip, Zakariyya Abdullahi Nuhu (Gabasawa), among others.
Political analysts said the numerical strength would make it easier for any move initiated by the governor’s loyalists, including impeachment proceedings, to scale through.
Kano has witnessed a similar scenario in the past. Professor Hafiz Abubakar resigned as deputy governor in August 2018 following a breakdown in his relationship with then-governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. His resignation came amid moves by lawmakers to impeach him, a process that had not been formally concluded before he stepped down.
A political analyst, Dr. Kabiru Sufi, said the political future of Deputy Governor Gwarzo would depend largely on his conduct in the coming weeks and how the executive and legislature respond.
“If he continues to absent himself from official functions and aligns more with factional activities, the House of Assembly may feel compelled to intervene,” he said.
He added that the executive arm could also initiate or influence action if it considers the deputy governor’s conduct destabilising.
“If the situation persists, ignoring it may no longer be an option,” Sufi said.
Another political observer, Adnan Mukhtar Tudunwada, said the deputy governor had only two options: resignation or impeachment.
“He will first be sidelined and denied the opportunity to function fully. He will be reduced to a position worse than a spare tyre,” he said, adding that resignation would not automatically guarantee him a governorship ticket.
However, Kabir Yunusa Buhari expressed a contrary view, saying Gwarzo could emerge as Kwankwaso’s next governorship candidate.
An NNPP leader, who spoke anonymously, said the deputy governor could either resign honourably or face impeachment, noting that previous allegations against him could be revived.
On Sunday, the Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Yusuf Ibrahim Kofarmata, resigned from his position, citing concerns over the prevailing political turmoil.
In a letter dated January 25, 2026, Kofarmata said remaining in office could compromise his independence and objectivity, stressing that political expectations under the current climate conflicted with the impartiality required of his office.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Adamu Aliyu Kibiya, reaffirmed his loyalty to the NNPP and Kwankwaso in a letter addressed to the former governor.
A statement issued on Sunday by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, confirmed that Yusuf would formally register with the APC today.
The statement recalled that Yusuf first joined the APC in 2014, when he won the party’s primary for Kano Central Senatorial District before conceding the ticket to Kwankwaso.
Speaking on Saturday during the distribution of 600 motorcycles to social media practitioners in Kano, Governor Yusuf cautioned against early political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections, urging patience and unity.
He also warned the social media practitioners against attacking Kwankwaso’s personality through their posts.
Senator Rufa’i Sani Hanga has warned that Yusuf’s defection would end in political defeat, describing the move as a “suicide mission.”
“For him to abandon the leader who brought him this far is unfortunate,” Hanga said, adding that the NNPP would closely watch how the governor navigates his new political path.
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