APC Halts Kwankwaso Talks, Leaves Final Call To Tinubu

The All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to be facing internal divisions as negotiations with former Kano State Governor and NNPP national leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, have stalled over what party sources describe as his “stringent conditions” and prolonged hesitation. According to multiple sources, the party has suspended further talks and shifted the final decision regarding Kwankwaso’s potential return to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is currently abroad.

The deadlock has also led to the indefinite postponement of plans to formally welcome Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf into the APC. Yusuf’s proposed defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has already been delayed twice—on January 5 and January 12, 2026—after negotiations with Kwankwaso, his political mentor, failed to reach an agreement.

Kwankwaso, founder of the influential Kwankwasiyya Movement, has repeatedly emphasized that he is not opposed to rejoining the APC but insists on clear guarantees regarding his role, the future of Kano State government, and the preservation of his political structures. Speaking at a public event in Kano, he reiterated the need for concrete assurances before any decision is made.

“I didn’t say I won’t join APC, but we must first be clearly assured of the future of the Kano State government before we join the APC. What will be the fate of our lawmakers and other supporters before we agree to defect?” Kwankwaso said. Recalling past political experiences, he noted that his camp had previously contributed significantly to APC victories only to be sidelined.

“Any return to the APC must be anchored on concrete agreements. I will not go to the APC blindly. I must be clearly informed of my role, the direction of the journey, and the fate of our plans for the common people,” he added, stressing that no deal would be made without guarantees for the Kwankwasiyya Movement and its political structures.

Highly placed APC sources described Kwankwaso’s demands as extensive and difficult to accommodate. A senior APC chieftain from the North-Central zone, speaking on condition of anonymity, said meeting the former governor’s conditions would require dismantling existing party structures in Kano.

“What Kwankwaso is asking for is essentially for all existing APC structures in Kano to be collapsed and placed under his control,” the source said, noting that this would put the party in conflict with key Kano APC figures, including former National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.

Political observers have also highlighted the longstanding rivalry between Kwankwaso and Ganduje as a major obstacle to reconciliation, with multiple sources doubting the two could coexist peacefully within the same party. Allegations that Kwankwaso may be planning to block Governor Yusuf from securing the NNPP’s 2027 ticket have reportedly accelerated Yusuf’s exploration of defection to the APC, though the party leadership has agreed to place his move on hold until talks with Kwankwaso are resolved.

Insiders suggest that efforts by Ganduje to bring Yusuf into the APC may be motivated as much by a desire to undermine Kwankwaso as by party interests, highlighting the deep internal fault lines shaping the current political landscape.