NNPP Founder Says Governor Yusuf Resigned From Kwankwasiya Movement, Not From Party

ABUJA / KANO — The founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has clarified that Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf did not resign his membership from the NNPP, but only withdrew from the Kwankwasiya Movement, a faction associated with the party. The clarification comes amid widespread media reports that the governor and several lawmakers had quit the NNPP.

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In a statement released on Saturday, January 24, 2026, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the NNPP, said Governor Yusuf’s resignation letter was not formally directed to the party’s recognised leadership structure. Instead, it was addressed to a ward official of the Kwankwasiya Movement in Diso-Chiranchi Ward of Gwale Local Government Area, Kano State, which the NNPP founder said is not recognised as an official party organ.

Aniebonam argued that the NNPP’s authentic National Working Committee (NWC) — led by Dr. Major Agbo — as well as the party’s recognised state leadership, were not formally notified of any resignation by the governor. He emphasised that the NNPP remains a registered political party, while the Kwankwasiya Movement was a pressure group within the party whose organisational ties have since been disputed by the national leadership.

“The resignation of Governor Yusuf and other political office holders of the party is not known to me as NNPP leader,” Aniebonam said in the statement. He noted that the party had lifted the governor’s suspension and directed him to take responsibility for leadership roles, given his status as the highest-elected official from the NNPP.

However, the situation remains politically charged. Reports earlier in the week said that Governor Yusuf, along with 21 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives, and 44 local government chairmen, had resigned from the NNPP, citing internal crises and leadership conflicts. A statement announcing the move was issued by Sunusi Tofa, the governor’s spokesperson, and indicated the resignations took effect from Friday, January 23, 2026.

yPolitical analysts say the dispute over whether Yusuf left the NNPP or merely exited an affiliated movement reflects broader tensions within the party, particularly between the national leadership and regional power blocs in Kano State. The NNPP founder referenced court orders affirming the authority of the party’s recognised leadership and directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to update its records accordingly.

As the controversy unfolds, Dr. Aniebonam urged members of the NNPP in Kano and across Nigeria to remain calm and committed, stressing that the party is focused on future electoral success and internal cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The contrasting narratives — one positioning Yusuf as having left the party and another asserting he only resigned from a related movement — add complexity to the political landscape in Kano and have drawn reactions from political stakeholders, including criticisms of leadership styles and strategies within the NNPP.