Former Kano State Deputy Governor and the 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, has reportedly become the centre of intense political attention in Kano following speculation about his planned defection from the ruling party.
Party insiders revealed that President Bola Tinubu has directed some top leaders of the APC to intervene and persuade Gawuna to remain in the party.
The move follows growing reports that the former deputy governor is considering aligning with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s Kwankwasiyya movement and eventually joining the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
Gawuna’s alleged plan to work with Kwankwaso to challenge Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf in the 2027 governorship election has generated anxiety within the APC.
While the development is said to be causing tension within the ruling party, supporters of the Kwankwasiyya movement are reportedly enthusiastic about the possibility of his defection.
The speculation intensified after a group led by the Chief Imam of Gawuna’s residential mosque, Ahmed Sabo Usman, paid a Sallah homage to Kwankwaso at his residence on Miller Road in Kano.
Sources within the APC said the former deputy governor has been largely unreachable in recent days, fuelling speculation that he is engaged in consultations outside the country.
Several party stakeholders reportedly failed in their attempts to reach him.
Insiders disclosed that Gawuna travelled to Saudi Arabia during Ramadan to perform the lesser pilgrimage, Umrah, but has not returned to Nigeria since the end of the fasting period.
A source familiar with his movements said he later travelled to a North African country for a private vacation.
According to the source, Gawuna placed his phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode to avoid pressure and repeated calls from party leaders seeking to stop the defection.
The alleged move has reportedly prompted political interventions at the highest level.
Sources said Governor Abba Yusuf has reached out to the presidency in an attempt to persuade Gawuna to remain in the APC.
Although details of the governor’s intervention remain unclear, insiders disclosed that President Tinubu delegated a powerful senator from Zamfara State alongside a presidential adviser to lead discussions aimed at convincing Gawuna to stay.
A source said the APC was considering offering him an automatic ticket for the Kano Central Senatorial District in the 2027 elections if he agrees to remain in the party.
“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,” the source told Daily Nigerian.
Political observers believe that Gawuna’s potential alliance with Kwankwaso could significantly alter Kano’s political landscape ahead of the next elections.
A political analyst, Aminu Bashir, described the former deputy governor as one of the strongest governorship contenders in the state.
“If Kwankwaso gives Gawuna the governorship ticket, it will be a game over. Gawuna has a large support base among the youth, the ulama and the business community,” Bashir said.
He added that a partnership between Gawuna and Kwankwaso could split the APC’s traditional support base in Kano.
Gawuna, who polled more than 800,000 votes in the 2023 governorship election, is said to be increasingly frustrated within the APC.
Some party members argue that he has been sidelined despite his performance in the last election.
One APC stalwart criticised the party’s internal decisions, saying it was unfair that someone who secured significant votes for the party had been relegated to a lesser political role.
“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,” the source said.
