Father vs Protégé: Kwankwaso’s Son Steps Aside As Kano Power Bloc Splits Ahead Of APC Move

Kano State’s political landscape has been thrown into fresh turmoil as Mustapha Kwankwaso, commissioner for youth and sports and eldest son of NNPP leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, vacated his office amid mounting indications that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is preparing to defect from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Although Mustapha has neither formally resigned nor been officially relieved of his duties, sources confirmed that he has cleared his office and removed his personal belongings, signalling an imminent exit from the cabinet. Insiders said his decision followed his father’s firm opposition to the governor’s planned defection, widely believed to be to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Yusuf has yet to make a public declaration. However, senior aides and lawmakers in the Kano State House of Assembly have confirmed his intention to leave the NNPP, citing escalating internal legal disputes and deepening political differences within the party.
The development exposes a dramatic rupture between Governor Yusuf and Rabiu Kwankwaso, effectively ending a political relationship that spanned nearly four decades. Until recently, Yusuf was widely regarded as Kwankwaso’s most loyal ally and political protégé.
In response to the looming defection, the elder Kwankwaso has intensified efforts to consolidate his faction of the party. He has been hosting strategic meetings at his Miller Road residence with members of the Kwankwasiyya movement who have opted to remain in the NNPP. He has also reportedly opened a “loyalty register” to document elected officials and political appointees committed to the party.
Several commissioners have reportedly declined to follow the governor in his planned move to the APC, instead reaffirming their allegiance to Kwankwaso. These include the commissioners for Science and Technology, Humanitarian Affairs, Internal Security, and Mineral Resources. Senior officials and heads of government agencies have also aligned with the Kwankwaso camp.
The political divide has spread to the legislature. While Governor Yusuf is said to command the majority of NNPP lawmakers at both the federal and state levels, a number of legislators have openly declared loyalty to Kwankwaso, with a few others remaining undecided.
Despite resistance from the Kwankwasiyya bloc, Governor Yusuf appears to have secured overwhelming grassroots support. All 44 local government chairpersons, their deputies, and most ward-level party executives are reportedly backing his planned defection, a development insiders have described as a “palace coup.”
The crisis marks a decisive turning point in Kano politics. In 2023, most members of Governor Yusuf’s cabinet were drawn from Kwankwaso’s political network, with Mustapha Kwankwaso appointed commissioner in April 2024.
Supporters of the governor argue that the planned defection is aimed at freeing the administration from overbearing external influence and allowing it to focus squarely on governance and development. Loyalists of Kwankwaso, however, have described the move as the “ultimate betrayal” of a long-standing political partnership.
Although the defection was initially expected earlier in January, it has reportedly been delayed to allow for further consultations. Nonetheless, with offices already being vacated and loyalties openly declared, Kano State appears poised for one of the most consequential political realignments in its history.