The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has condemned the defection of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that Nigeria’s federal system has been weakened and reduced to a structure where state governors operate as subordinates to the Presidency.
The party’s National Secretary, Mr. Dipo Olayoku, made the assertion on Tuesday during an interview on Frontline, a political programme aired on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, and monitored by New Telegraph.
Reacting to Yusuf’s defection, Olayoku described the development as a reflection of the erosion of constitutional federalism in Nigeria.
“We are supposed to operate a three-tier system of government — federal, state and local — with clearly defined powers. Unfortunately, what we have today is a principal and class captains. The president is the principal, while the governors have been reduced to class captains. That is the reality of Nigeria today,” he said.
Governor Yusuf formally defected to the APC on January 27, 2026, alongside 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly and nine federal lawmakers, during an event held at the Coronation Hall of the Kano Government House. He said the move followed extensive consultations and was aimed at strengthening governance and accelerating development in the state.
Yusuf’s defection makes him the eighth governor to join the APC since April 2025, following similar moves by governors in Delta, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Bayelsa, Plateau, Rivers and Taraba states — a trend that has heightened concerns over the shrinking space for opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While noting that the development did not entirely come as a surprise, Olayoku described it as deeply unsettling for the party.
“It didn’t come as a surprise, but it is shocking. Indications of a possible defection had been there for over a year. We did everything within our capacity to prevent it, but ultimately, the decision was his. There are pressures in our democracy today that make situations like this almost inevitable,” he said.
He alleged that Governor Yusuf faced intense pressure from external forces and federal institutions, which, according to him, made effective governance difficult.
“When a governor gives an order and the Commissioner of Police counteracts it, then you understand the kind of democracy we are practising,” Olayoku said.
“This is not about mismanagement; it is about the realities of Nigeria’s political system. There are sensitive national and party security issues that prevent me from disclosing everything, but Nigerians should pay attention to the forces influencing governors to defect to the APC.”
Olayoku warned that the growing wave of defections poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
“This is not a lesson for the NNPP alone; it is a wake-up call for Nigerians. Multiparty democracy is under serious threat. Federalism requires balance among the tiers of government, but when governors are pressured and reminded that ‘I am the President and Commander-in-Chief,’ that balance collapses,” he said.
He stressed that opposition parties are increasingly unable to operate freely without intimidation, a situation he described as contrary to the democratic ideals Nigerians fought for in 1999.
On the country’s economic situation, the NNPP scribe dismissed claims by the APC-led Federal Government that the economy is performing well, insisting that ordinary Nigerians are bearing the brunt of policy decisions.
“If you go to the market and check prices, you will see the reality Nigerians are facing. People say prices must rise after fuel subsidy removal, but that is not an achievement — it is suffering,” he said.
“In 2012, fuel sold for ₦65. Under President Jonathan, it rose to ₦141. When the current administration came in May 2023, fuel jumped from ₦187 to nearly ₦1,000 within three months.
“So when the government says it is doing well, the question is: doing well for whom? Nigerians at the grassroots know the truth. The lived reality of the people tells a very different story.”
