Umar Idris Shuaibu, Kano
Kano is once again at a political crossroads. As discussions intensify around Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s possible defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a section of the Kwankwasiyya movement particularly its loudest online defenders, has rushed to brand the move a “grand betrayal.”
Such framing, however, is intellectually lazy and politically dishonest. What is unfolding is not betrayal; it is political survival, shaped by experience, history, and the harsh realities of power.
Politics is not sustained by sentiment alone. Loyalty, while admirable, must never become a trap. Those condemning Governor Yusuf conveniently forget that his political mentor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, mastered the art of strategic realignment long before his protégé rose to prominence.
Kwankwaso himself benefited from powerful political benefactors figures like the late Senator Hamisu Musa Kafin Agur, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, and Alhaji Musa Gwadabe, before eventually asserting independence once power was secured. If independence was justified for the mentor, it cannot be criminal for the student.
Governor Yusuf’s loyalty to Kwankwaso spans nearly four decades, dating back to their shared days in public service at WRECA.
Over the years, Yusuf subordinated personal ambition for collective interest, including stepping aside from a Senatorial race in 2015 to accommodate Kwankwaso. He endured internal pressures, political interference, and prolonged uncertainty, yet remained steadfast. Such restraint is rare in Nigerian politics and speaks more to discipline than desperation. Even personal bonds reinforce this history.
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Yusuf’s marriage into Kwankwaso’s extended family is not mere symbolism; it reflects years of trust, access, and shared political destiny. To suggest that such a figure would casually “betray” his mentor ignores the depth of sacrifice already made. At some point, leadership demands hard decisions especially when blind loyalty begins to threaten governance and stability.
The reality today is that the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) is grappling with internal crises and legal vulnerabilities that cast serious doubt on its electoral viability ahead of 2027. Remaining on a platform that may struggle to secure a credible ticket is not loyalty, it is political suicide.
Governor Yusuf, as a sitting governor with a mandate to protect, cannot afford that gamble.
Attempts to persuade Kwankwaso toward a more stable political structure have reportedly failed, leaving survival as the only rational choice.
In this light, Yusuf’s possible alignment with the APC should be viewed through a strategic lens, not an emotional one.
Power is preserved through structure, stability, and alliances not nostalgia.
This is where the APC’s readiness to receive him becomes significant. Under the fatherly leadership and reconciliatory influence of the immediate past National Chairman of the APC and Chairperson of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the party has positioned itself as a broad platform for political inclusion and continuity in Kano.
As confirmed in a statement signed by the Kano State APC Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, the party’s openness to Governor Yusuf is rooted in unity, not conquest. It is a recognition that Kano’s political future requires cooperation, not endless factional warfare.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is not abandoning a mentor; he is confronting reality. History rewards leaders who adapt, not those who cling to collapsing structures. In politics, survival is not treachery but a responsibility. And in Kano today, responsibility demands bold, if uncomfortable, choices.