The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has declared that it will clinch victory in the 2027 Kano State governorship election, regardless of whether Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf defects to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party’s confidence comes amid growing speculation over Governor Yusuf’s alleged plan to dump the NNPP for the APC, following his recent visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. A development that has stirred intense political debates across Kano State.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, NNPP chieftain, Ladipo Johnson, dismissed concerns over the governor’s possible defection, insisting that the party’s strength lies in its solid grassroots support across the state.
Johnson recalled that the NNPP had previously performed strongly in Kano without enjoying the benefits of incumbency.
READ ALSO: Gov. Yusuf Meets Tinubu In Villa Amid Defection Move
“In 2019, without a sitting governor or members of the House of Assembly, we believe we won Kano, but INEC declared the election inconclusive and later Ganduje was returned,” he said.
He added that a similar scenario played out in the 2023 governorship election.
“In 2023, same position. We went up against the APC and, well, His Excellency Abba Kabir Yusuf knows that he won the elections,” Johnson stated.
According to him, the NNPP’s electoral success in Kano was achieved without holding key political offices at the grassroots level.
“NNPP won the elections, won most of the seats, and we did this without having anyone in situ—no councillors, nothing. We were able to win Kano,” he said.
Johnson expressed optimism that the party would repeat the feat in 2027, irrespective of Governor Yusuf’s political future.
READ ALSO: Kano Governor Meets Tinubu, Pushes For Federal Support On Mega Projects
“By God’s special grace, in 2027, the same thing will happen whether or not he has left us or whether he’s with us. That sounds slightly arrogant, but I’m not being arrogant. It’s politics, and I believe we will be able to win Kano,” he added.
The defection rumours intensified on Monday after Governor Yusuf paid a visit to President Tinubu, prompting claims that he was preparing to align with the APC ahead of the next election cycle.
However, the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature, dismissed the speculation, describing the meeting as strictly official.
According to Bature, Yusuf briefed the President on the recent tragic killing of a housewife and her children in Kano, while stressing the need for stronger federal intervention to boost security and protect innocent citizens.
Governor Yusuf won the 2023 Kano governorship election on the platform of the NNPP, defeating the APC candidate, Yusuf Gawuna.