By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
President Bola Tinubu is set to visit Kano on Monday to formally receive Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf into the All Progressives Congress (APC) at a grand ceremony scheduled to hold at the Sani Abacha Stadium.
The event is expected to attract Vice President Kashim Shettima, several APC governors, and top party leaders from across the country. Party officials have described the reception as a strategic political gathering aimed at strengthening the APC’s foothold in the North-West, a region considered pivotal in Nigeria’s electoral calculations.
Kano State APC Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, said the reception would serve as the symbolic and formal integration of Governor Yusuf into the ruling party. He described the development as a major boost for the APC in Kano, widely regarded as one of the nation’s most politically influential states.
According to Abbas, elaborate preparations have been concluded to ensure a smooth and secure event. He disclosed that several committees have been constituted to oversee critical aspects of the programme, including security, logistics, publicity, health services and mobilisation.
A 15-member Security Committee, chaired by Col. Umar Malami, with the Director-General of Special Services as secretary, has been tasked with coordinating security arrangements. A 16-member Venue Committee, headed by Hon. Bala Mohd Gwagwarwa, with Engr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje serving as secretary, will supervise facilities and logistics at the stadium.
Media and public engagement will be managed by a 15-member Publicity Committee chaired by Hon. Muhammad Garba, while the Health Emergency and Sanitation Committee, led by Dr. Abubakar Labaran, will handle medical and emergency services. The Protocol Committee, chaired by Hon. Abdullahi Rogo, will coordinate reception arrangements for dignitaries.
To ensure massive turnout, a 20-member Mobilisation Committee headed by Hon. Mohd Bello Butu-Butu has also been inaugurated.
Party sources say the high-profile reception underscores the APC’s determination to consolidate its influence in Kano and the wider North-West, especially ahead of future electoral contests.
Meanwhile, attention has turned to Rivers State, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who is also believed to be aligning with the APC, has yet to be formally received by either the party’s National Chairman or President Tinubu.
Political analysts attribute the delay to the lingering rift between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Observers suggest that the strained relationship may be complicating the political groundwork necessary for a smooth and high-level reception, with some speculating that internal party dynamics could be affecting the pace of his formal integration.
As the APC prepares for a show of strength in Kano, developments in Rivers continue to generate interest within political circles, highlighting the complex interplay of alliances and rivalries shaping Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.
