BREAKING: Gov Abba Yusuf meets Tinubu behind closed-door in Aso Rock

Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State on Monday held a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, a development that has reignited speculation over his political future.

Yusuf was sighted entering the President’s office at about 4:13 p.m., dressed in his signature white flowing attire and red Kwankwasiyya cap. The visit marked his first publicly known engagement with President Tinubu since the President returned from the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

The meeting comes amid sustained reports that the Kano governor is weighing a possible defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Sources familiar with the talks said discussions on the proposed move began earlier this month but have reportedly stalled due to unresolved issues. Central to the impasse, the sources said, is the APC leadership’s reluctance to give a written guarantee securing Yusuf an automatic governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The potential defection has continued to stir strong reactions within the NNPP. Former Kano State governor and national leader of the party, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has openly criticised the move, describing it as a betrayal of the party’s ideals and political base.

Kwankwaso has also warned that leaving the NNPP could carry serious political consequences for Yusuf as the 2027 elections approach.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Presidency nor the Kano State Government had issued an official statement on the purpose or outcome of the meeting.