Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano State, met secretly with his predecessor Abdullahi Ganduje in Abuja. The meeting focused on three critical issues: ongoing defections from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano, the unresolved emirship tussle involving the dethroned Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, and the vacant deputy governorship. Mr Ganduje had earlier in the day met with President Bola Tinubu to update him on political developments in the state. No official statement was released after the Yusuf-Ganduje meeting, and details of their discussions remain undisclosed. The APC in Kano has faced internal fractures since the 2023 elections, with several lawmakers and party officials switching allegiance. The absence of a deputy governor since Yusuf's inauguration has further intensified political speculation. The emirship crisis, which began with the dethronement of Aminu Ado Bayero in May 2024, continues to fuel tension between the state government and traditional institution supporters.
That Abba Yusuf would sit down with Abdullahi Ganduje—whose administration he publicly rejected—signals a retreat from principle in favour of political survival. The fact that both men are now coordinating after months of public rift suggests the pressure from defections is deeper than admitted. With the deputy governorship still unfilled and the emirship crisis unresolved, this meeting offers no real solution, only backroom talk. For ordinary Kano residents, the spectacle confirms that elite politics remains insulated from public expectation.
