President Bola Tinubu on Monday evening held a closed-door meeting with Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, reigniting speculation over a possible political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Governor Yusuf, who won the 2023 governorship election on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), arrived at the State House and was escorted to the President’s first-floor office by the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
Although no official details of the meeting were disclosed, the high-level engagement has intensified public debate over Yusuf’s political future, particularly amid persistent reports that he may be considering a defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Political analysts believe the meeting may be linked to ongoing discussions surrounding the governor’s next political steps, especially as speculation about a possible defection has grown in recent weeks.
Earlier, the national leader of the NNPP and former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, publicly distanced himself from the defection rumours, stating that he neither approved nor endorsed any plan for Governor Yusuf to leave the party.
Sources familiar with the matter say negotiations over a potential move to the APC have encountered hurdles, including disagreements over political assurances ahead of the 2027 elections, such as reported demands for an automatic governorship ticket.
The situation has also reportedly heightened political tension within Kano State, pitting some of Yusuf’s supporters against loyalists of Kwankwaso, further complicating the state’s already delicate political landscape.
While neither the Presidency nor the Kano State Government has issued an official statement on the outcome of the meeting, observers say the development underscores the strategic importance of Kano in Nigeria’s evolving political calculations.
