The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has condemned the defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as proof that Nigeria’s federal system is collapsing.
The party’s National Secretary, Dipo Olayoku, spoke on Frontline on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, on Tuesday, shortly after Governor Yusuf officially joined the APC on January 26, 2026.
Olayoku said the move reflected the failure of true federalism in Nigeria, where governors have been reduced to mere subordinates of the presidency.
“This is Nigeria of today. We are supposed to have three tiers of government – national, state and local – each with constitutionally defined powers,” Olayoku said.
“But unfortunately today, what we have in Nigeria is a principal, that is the president, and class captains, the governors. That is what the current administration has reduced our governors to.”
Governor Yusuf formally joined the APC with 22 Kano State House of Assembly members and nine federal lawmakers during a ceremony at the Coronation Hall of the Kano Government House.
He said his decision followed extensive consultations and was aimed at strengthening governance and accelerating development in Kano State.
Olayoku described the defection as shocking but not entirely unexpected, noting that hints of a possible defection had emerged more than a year ago.
“It didn’t come as a surprise, but it is shocking,” he said. “We did everything possible within our reach, but ultimately, the decision was his. There are pressures in our democracy today that make situations like this inevitable.”
He claimed Governor Yusuf faced intense pressure from external forces and persistent obstruction by federal institutions, which he said made governance difficult.
“If you have a governor that will give an order and the Commissioner of Police counter it, then it tells you the type of democracy we are on,” Olayoku said.
He also warned that the trend of defections poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s multiparty democracy, arguing that opposition parties are being weakened nationwide.
“It is not a lesson for NNPP. It is a wake-up call to Nigerians,” he said. “Multi-party democracy in Nigeria is under serious threat.”
Olayoku highlighted the 2023 elections in Kano, where he said NNPP won the presidential, governorship and other major contests.
He accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary at the appeal level of manipulating results in favour of the APC, a claim that has long been raised by the party.
“Afterward, APC challenged the outcome in court, arguing that our governor wasn’t a legitimate party member and that some ballot papers were improperly stamped. These matters were already settled by the Supreme Court,” he said.
He stressed that the party remains focused ahead of the 2027 general election, adding that the struggle is now between the NNPP and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, not the APC.
“Come 2027, it is not APC versus NNPP,” he said. “It is NNPP versus Abba Kabir Yusuf.”
Governor Yusuf, however, defended his decision at the defection ceremony, stating that aligning with the ruling party would bring peace, unity, stability and development to Kano State.
Meanwhile, listeners on the Frontline programme expressed concern about the growing dominance of one party in Nigeria’s political landscape. One caller warned that a de facto one-party system would weaken accountability and democratic competition.
