₦airaland Forum

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday sent warm birthday wishes to Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, commending his “integrity, modesty, humility and commitment to public service.”
Tinubu conveyed his felicitations in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Sunday’s birthday message comes hours after Yusuf’s highly anticipated defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party to the APC, originally scheduled for Monday, January 5, 2026, his 63rd birthday, was postponed to January 12.

In the statement, Tinubu lavished praise on the Kano governor, highlighting his infrastructural achievements and commitment to grassroots development.

“Governor Yusuf’s leadership experience, particularly his years as commissioner, managing strategic portfolios in Kano State, may have prepared him for the kind of infrastructural changes now witnessed in the state,” the President said.

“He has embarked on urban renewal programmes, building bridges and road networks, including five-kilometre roads in each local government in the state,” he added.

Tinubu also noted improvements in Kano’s education sector, stating,

“I also understood that his declaration of emergency in education has engendered a marked improvement in the performance of Kano students in NECO exams.”

The President described Kano as “the bastion of progressive politics in the North,” adding that Yusuf’s regime “re-echoes the commitment to grassroots development and ameliorating the plight of the Talakawas as championed by the late Mallam Aminu Kano.”

Reports indicate that at least 25 out of 27 NNPP members of the Kano State House of Assembly, including Speaker Yusuf Falgore, have endorsed the governor’s planned defection, along with a significant number of local government chairmen

A source close to the governor revealed that Yusuf requested additional time during a meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja on Friday to further consult with state legislators and key stakeholders who have yet to fully commit to the move.

The planned defection has created a rift between Yusuf and his political godfather, NNPP national leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who has reportedly expressed disappointment at the development.

Kwankwaso questioned the insistence on having Kano’s governor defect to the APC, arguing that doing so would strip the Kwankwasiyya movement of its only executive stronghold.

He suggested that if the governor was determined to leave, those encouraging the move should also be prepared to have him relinquish the governorship.

The NNPP state chairman, Hashimu Dungurawa, appealed to Yusuf to remain with the party, warning that defecting to the APC would betray the mandate given to him by voters who elected him on the NNPP ticket.

However, Kano State APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, formally invited Yusuf to join the ruling party, saying the APC was ready to receive him “with open arms so that, together, we can pool our strengths for the progress and stability of Kano State”.

Yusuf is currently the NNPP’s only sitting governor nationwide.

His defection to the APC may neutralise the governorship ambition of Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who has been aspiring for the APC ticket to contest against Yusuf in the 2027 polls.

Orlandoo:
Trump watching with one eye. Rig election and be like Maduro.

Richtaiwo:
While the Great Jagaban quietly consolidates his strategy, the unintelligent clowns are busy auditioning for a social-media circus, making plenty of noise, but achieving absolutely nothing.

Deep down, they know their jaundiced schemes can’t even scratch a quarter of Tinubu’s calm, methodical effectiveness. Having exhausted logic, data, and reality itself, they’ve now outsourced hope to Trump. Small wonder he has been promoted from American politician to their new god, messiah, and last-minute saviour.

MEGAWATCH:
Please is bootlicking a family tradition in your family?

I'm just curious because what you are doing here doesn't look ordinary.


🤔🤔🤔🤔

michoim:
Celebration to encourage defection...

LadyNurladi:
Let's be sincere with our selves,BAT is a strategist in this game .He has all the aces .I don't like the man but i bow for his level of games.What that man quoted is a fact that even his adversaries know.
Only thing that Can stop that man from winning is death or international influence ganging up to ensure he doesn't win

Orlandoo:
Trump watching with one eye. Rig election and be like Maduro.

LadyNurladi:
Let's be sincere with our selves,BAT is a strategist in this game .He has all the aces .I don't like the man but i bow for his level of games.What that man quoted is a fact that even his adversaries know.
Only thing that Can stop that man from winning is death or international influence ganging up to ensure he doesn't win

MEGAWATCH:
You people keep giving this idiot the kind of respect he doesn't deserve as if he is the greatest politician in Nigeria.

Look the person I blame for Tinubu's presidential victory today is Malam El-rufia and I'm also happy that he is no more with him today.

Let's see how they will shut down the INEC server again to tell us it' is glitches again.


A man Peter Obi had already finished in Lagos, Abuja and the entire south east and south south before El-rufia and co steps in.

You think they are attacking Obi for nothing?

🔥🔥

MEGAWATCH:
You people keep giving this idiot the kind of respect he doesn't deserve as if he is the greatest politician in Nigeria.

Look the person I blame for Tinubu's presidential victory today is Malam El-rufia and I'm also happy that he is no more with him today.

Let's see how they will shut down the INEC server again to tell us it' is glitches again.


A man Peter Obi had already finished in Lagos, Abuja and the entire south east and south south before El-rufia and co steps in.

You think they are attacking Obi for nothing?

🔥🔥

Putindbutt:
If anyone had told me a day would come that Kwankwaso would be wailing, I would have given that person a hard knock on the forehead.
Bro, politics no be your mate, if you no get mind, no enter am.
Kwankwaso never would have imagined that Tinubu would negotiate with Gov Yusuf behind his back and his so called political son would agree while he was kept in the dark... that thing can painnn...

I no go too blame Tinubu like that, they've been on this negotiation for over two years, while Ganduje was a major stumbling block, Kwankwaso himself wasn't helping matters. His demands were too ridiculous, trying to put himself above other northern APC stakeholders who have been loyal to the party. Tinubu would not have any of that even though they have been close allies for a very long time.
Me sef I come dey fear Tinubu like never before, the name Jagaban dey ring inside my head.

Orlandoo:
Trump watching with one eye. Rig election and be like Maduro.

LegendHero:
You mean Mallam wey lose him state and lost all senatorial and most house of rep seats to the PDP?

How many state El-Rufai win for Tinubu again?

Guestmale:
You called your president idiot and the mod. still allowed it. It seems there is partiality on this platform.

TheFreshVanilla:
To the unintelligent ones like you, Bat is seen as a strategist but in reality he's nothing more than an unrepentant criminal who uses money and power to manipulate people to do his wish. There is nothing special about him. His mindset is to get whatever he wants by any means necessary, even if it means ordering his stand-by political thugs to snatch ballot boxes.

MEGAWATCH:
You people keep giving this idiot the kind of respect he doesn't deserve as if he is the greatest politician in Nigeria.

Look the person I blame for Tinubu's presidential victory today is Malam El-rufia and I'm also happy that he is no more with him today.

Let's see how they will shut down the INEC server again to tell us it' is glitches again.


A man Peter Obi had already finished in Lagos, Abuja and the entire south east and south south before El-rufia and co steps in.

You think they are attacking Obi for nothing?

🔥🔥

princemol:
At this rate you are going, your heart attack will be legendary o

LegendHero:
You mean Mallam wey lose him state and lost all senatorial and most house of rep seats to the PDP?

How many state El-Rufai win for Tinubu again?