Gov. Abba’s APC Defection is a Homecoming, Not Political Sin says Waiya

By Samuel Solomon

The Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, has defended the planned defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as historically justified and politically appropriate.

Waiya made the clarification during a Hausa-language radio programme monitored by Daily Fact, as public debate continues over the governor’s loyalty to his political mentor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, following confirmed reports that the governor is set to officially join the APC on Monday.

According to the commissioner, the APC remains the political home of Kwankwaso, stressing that the former Kano governor was among the key figures who helped build the party in 2014. He recalled that Kwankwaso mobilised governors across the North-West and other northern states, and played a significant role in marketing former President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of the 2015 general elections.

Explaining the situation through a cultural analogy, Waiya likened it to a child who was taken away from home by his father, but after understanding his roots, decides to return. He said such a return should not be viewed as strange or unacceptable.
The commissioner noted that it is natural for Kwankwaso’s political associates and protégés, including those currently serving in the Kano State Government, to return to the APC, insisting that the decision does not amount to betrayal or disloyalty.

He further described the move as a quest for “gadon gida,” a Hausa expression meaning one’s rightful inheritance or place within the family, adding that there is nothing wrong with returning to one’s political roots to reclaim what belongs to them.

The comments come amid growing political conversations following reports confirming that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf will formally defect to the APC, a development that has generated reactions both within Kano State and across the country.