Kano State Governor, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, has explained the rationale behind his closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid growing speculation that he may soon defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, the governor said the meeting was a “strategic engagement” focused on security challenges, infrastructure development, and strengthening Kano State’s partnership with the Federal Government.
According to the statement, Governor Yusuf briefed President Tinubu on worsening insecurity in parts of Kano, describing the recent killing of a housewife and her children as “deeply disturbing” and calling for urgent federal intervention to protect lives and property.
He also highlighted the role of the Kano State Neighbourhood Watch Corps in complementing conventional security agencies and appealed for deeper collaboration with federal security institutions to improve intelligence-sharing, coordination, and operational effectiveness.
On infrastructure, Yusuf outlined his administration’s development agenda, stressing that major projects underway were aimed at boosting economic growth and creating jobs. He specifically thanked President Tinubu for the Federal Government’s intervention on the Wujuwuju Road project, which he described as critical to improving connectivity and unlocking commercial activities within the state.
The governor further sought federal support to accelerate other ongoing and proposed projects, emphasizing the need for Kano State to benefit maximally from federal programmes and investments.
President Tinubu, according to the statement, assured the governor of the Federal Government’s readiness to collaborate closely with Kano in tackling insecurity and driving sustainable development, while reaffirming his commitment to national cohesion and inclusive growth.
However, beyond the governance discussions, the three-hour meeting— which began around 4:10 p.m. and ended shortly after 7 p.m.— has fueled intense political speculation in Abuja and Kano.
Sources familiar with the meeting revealed that the talks resolved lingering political issues that had delayed Governor Yusuf’s planned move to the APC.
After the meeting, Yusuf, dressed in his trademark white babbar riga and Kwankwasiyya red cap, declined to address journalists, stating only, “I will be back”—a comment that has further intensified speculation about an imminent defection.
LEADERSHIP reports that Yusuf’s possible move to the APC has heightened tensions between him and his political mentor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the national leader of the NNPP, who has warned of “consequences” should the governor leave the party.
While the governor has maintained public silence on the matter, several of his aides and associates are reportedly in talks with APC leaders in Kano and Abuja. Meanwhile, defections by some of his supporters at the ward and local government levels have already begun.
