A former Kano State deputy governor and 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, is now the most sought-after politician in Kano as President Bola Tinubu directed some top party leaders to stop his planned defection to the Kwankwasiyya movement and ultimately African Democratic Congress, ADC.
Mr Gawuna’s plan to align with Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso to unseat Governor Abba Yusuf in 2027 is gaining currency in Kano. While the move is causing a stir in the APC, the Kwankwasiyya camp is agog over the defection plan.
Already a group led by the chief imam of Mr Gawuna’s residential mosque, Ahmed Sabo Usman, had paid a Sallah homage to the Mr Kwankwaso at his Miller Road residence in Kano.
Party insiders told this newspaper that Mr Gawuna has been largely unreachable in recent days, fueling speculation about ongoing political consultations outside the country. Efforts by key stakeholders within the APC to reach him have reportedly been unsuccessful.
Sources disclosed that Mr Gawuna travelled to Saudi Arabia during Ramadan to perform the lesser hajj (Umrah). However, days after the end of the holy month, he has yet to return to Nigeria. A source familiar with his movements said the former deputy governor subsequently proceeded on a private vacation to a North African country.
According to the source, Mr Gawuna placed his phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode to avoid mounting pressure and persistent calls from the party leaders seeking to stop his defection.
A number of APC politicians who spoke to our reporter said Mr Gawuna could not be reached on phone since the news of his alleged plan to dump the APC began circulating on social media.
Mr Gawuna’s political move has rattled the Kano APC, prompting Governor Abba Yusuf to seek presidential support to persuade him not to leave the party.
Although details of the governor’s outreach remain unclear, insiders said Mr Tinubu had delegated a powerful senator from Zamfara State as well as a presidential adviser to lead the lobby.
According to one insider, APC is considering offering Mr Gawuna an automatic ticket for the Kano Central Senatorial District in the 2027 elections if he agrees to remain within its fold.
“The president is concerned about Gawuna’s defection plan. He is made to understand that not only Governor Yusuf’s second term ambition is at stake but the president’s support base in Kano,” said a source familiar with the presidential directive.
Pundits believe that Mr Gawuna is currently the most formidable governorship aspirant who can neutralize incumbency factor and further divide Kano APC during governorship and presidential elections.
“If Kwankwaso gives Gawuna governorship ticket, it will be a game over. Gawuna has a large support base among the youth, the ulama and business community. Apart from this, the APC will be further divided as most of the traditional supporters of the party will vote for Gawuna. So if you merge Gawuna’s political capital with Kwankwaso’s commanding support base, it will be a landslide win,” said a political pundit, Aminu Bashir.
Mr Gawuna, who polled over 800,000 votes in the 2023 governorship election, is reportedly undermined and relegated by his party. “It is baffling for APC to appoint someone who worked against his party as minister and then relegate someone who polled over 800,000 votes to a board chairman,” said an APC stalwart who preferred not to be named.
The supporters of the former deputy governor had been grumbling over what they perceive as his marginalisation within the APC since he lost election in 2023, and that he has not been considered for major federal appointments or strategic party roles.
There are also concerns among his loyalists regarding the reported non-payment of his entitlements as a former deputy governor by the state government, despite earlier call by a certain political figure for such obligations to be settled.
