Nigeria’s opposition parties have condemned the defection of Kano State Gov. Abba Yusuf from the New Nigeria Peoples Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress, dismissing the move as politically insignificant ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Peoples Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress and Labour Party said Yusuf’s switch to the APC would not alter the political landscape, arguing that elite defections driven by self-interest do not translate into popular support.
Reacting separately on Monday, PDP National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong and ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi described the defection as a moral failure rather than a show of political strength. Labour Party leaders echoed the view, warning against equating high-profile defections with voter sentiment.
Sen. Nenadi Usman, interim national chairman of a Labour Party faction, said opposition parties would remain competitive in 2027, cautioning that defections by governors and other political figures should not be mistaken for mass approval.
The APC welcomed Yusuf’s decision, with its Director of Publicity Bala Ibrahim calling it a boost for the ruling party and an endorsement of its record in government.
Yusuf announced his resignation from the NNPP on Friday after weeks of speculation and political tension in Kano, despite the backing of former governor and Kwankwasiyya Movement leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
His defection comes amid a wave of high-profile switches to the APC in recent months, including by governors from Akwa Ibom, Delta, Enugu, Bayelsa, Taraba, Rivers and Plateau states, as well as several federal and state lawmakers, former governors and ex-ministers.
President Bola Tinubu and other APC leaders have rejected claims that the ruling party is pushing Nigeria toward a one-party state, insisting the APC remains open and inclusive.
The NNPP strongly criticized Yusuf’s departure, describing it as a betrayal of Kano voters and the Kwankwasiyya Movement. In a statement Friday, NNPP spokesman Oladipo Johnson said the governor’s claim of an irredeemable crisis within the party was unfounded.
The party noted that it had recently conducted congresses from ward to national levels under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission and had won two supplementary legislative elections in Kano in August 2025, disputing Yusuf’s justification for leaving.
