Kano Gov Yusuf denies APC overtures, says no contact from Ganduje

Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano state has refuted claims made by Abdullahi Ganduje, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), that he was invited to defect to the ruling party.

Sunusi Bature Dawakin, Yusuf’s director-general of media and publicity, issued a statement today directly contradicting Ganduje’s assertions.

Dawakin said this in reaction to comments credited to Ganduje who said he had asked the Kano governor to abandon the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the APC.

“We are appealing to those who want to join APC to come,” the APC national chair had said.

“In particular, we are inviting the Governor of Kano and his NNPP to join APC.”

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However, Dawakin clarified that his principal “has not been contacted by Ganduje over joining the APC,” adding that the claims were “unfounded and misleading.”

Speaking on the BBC Hausa service on Friday, Dawakin said they only learnt of the invitation via social media.

The director-general said as a former governor and former deputy governor, Ganduje knows the right channels to get to his principal.

“We learned about the invitation on social media, but Dr Ganduje, as a former Governor and former deputy governor, knows more than any other person how to send a message to an incumbent governor, appropriately,” he said.

The NNPP, formed in 2022, is seen as a rising force in Nigerian politics, particularly in the north. Its presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, is a former governor of Kano and a political rival of Ganduje. Yusuf, a former banker and businessman, defeated Ganduje’s anointed successor in the 2023 gubernatorial elections, a result that was met with widespread surprise and jubilation among NNPP supporters.

With the 2027 elections still far off, the tug-of-war for Yusuf’s political allegiance is likely to continue. His decision could have significant implications for the political landscape of Kano state and the wider region.

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