Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has returned to Nigeria from London amid a fresh political realignment in Kano, where APC flags were hoisted at the State Government House on Monday, signalling the formal return of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to the ruling party.
Dr. Ganduje arrived in Abuja at about 5:30 a.m. aboard a British Airways flight and is expected to proceed to Kano later in the day to commence a series of political engagements in the state. His return follows his attendance at the graduation ceremony of his daughter, Fatima, at King’s College London.
Fatima, who is married to Idris Ajimobi, son of the late former Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, graduated on Thursday with a Master’s degree from the prestigious institution.
In a statement signed by his Chief of Staff, Comrade Muhammad Garba, the former governor is scheduled to participate in the APC’s electronic registration of members, a programme he initiated during his tenure as national chairman.
“The APC registration exercise is a key pillar in strengthening our party structures and ensuring accurate membership data,” the statement said. It added that Dr. Ganduje would also play a leading role in the planned reception for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who is set to formally join the APC.
Comrade Garba further stated that the party was working to build a united APC in Kano ahead of the 2027 elections, describing the former national chairman’s involvement as “a strategic move to strengthen the party’s cohesion and support base in the state.”
The development comes amid months of political realignments in the state after Governor Yusuf resigned from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), ending speculation about his political future ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Governor Yusuf, who was instrumental to the NNPP’s victory in Kano during the 2023 elections, is expected to formally register as an APC member on Monday, alongside lawmakers and local government chairmen.
The governor had previously been a member of the APC between 2014 and 2018 before moving to other political platforms.
Party sources said preparations were underway for the governor’s reception by APC leaders, with the national leader of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, expected to return from London on Monday to receive him in Kano.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Governor Yusuf’s spokesperson, Sunusi Dawakin-Tofa, said the governor’s decision to return to the APC was informed by “prevailing realities of governance, national cohesion and development.”
The statement added that on Monday, Governor Yusuf would register alongside 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives, and 44 local government chairmen in the state.
It also disclosed that the governor was expected to officially flag off the APC electronic registration exercise in Kano on the same day.
