Barely 24 hours after resigning from the New Nigerian Peoples Party, Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has dismissed his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Sunusi Surajo, and appointed a former aide to ex-APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, as his replacement.
Surajo, a former chairman of Madobi Local Government Council and a known loyalist of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, was relieved of his duties on Friday.
He has been replaced by a former political adviser to Ganduje, signalling a significant shift in the governor’s political alignment.
Although no official reason was given for the dismissal, the development was confirmed in a social media post by the governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa.
Political observers view the move as part of a broader realignment within the Kano State Government following Yusuf’s decision to quit the NNPP amid internal party crises.
In his resignation letter addressed to the chairman of his Diso-Chiranchi Ward in Gwale Local Government Area, the governor cited persistent internal conflicts, legal battles and weakening cohesion within the NNPP as reasons for his departure.
The governor’s exit has triggered a wave of defections, with 44 local government chairmen, 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly and eight federal lawmakers pledging loyalty to Yusuf and indicating readiness to move with him to the ruling party.
However, the development has fractured the Kwankwasiyya political movement, with cabinet members and key appointees split over loyalty to the governor or Kwankwaso.
A source told DAILY GAZETTE that the Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, has chosen to remain aligned with Kwankwaso and may not follow Yusuf to his new political platform.
Efforts to reach the deputy governor’s spokesperson for confirmation were unsuccessful, but Gwarzo has reportedly been absent from three consecutive official engagements at Government House and has been seen attending meetings at Kwankwaso’s residence.
Several commissioners are also yet to announce their exit from the NNPP, including those in charge of Science and Technology, Special Duties, Sports, Internal Security, Humanitarian Affairs and Women Affairs.
Meanwhile, Kwankwaso has urged his supporters to brace for an intense political contest ahead of 2027, warning them against abandoning the Kwankwasiyya ideology for financial inducements.
Speaking at his Miller Road residence in Kano, the former governor appealed for loyalty and perseverance, stressing that the struggle for political change requires sacrifice and resilience.
