APC Kano Boils as Party Chair, Housing Minister Clash Over 2027 Governorship Endorsement

|By Chinwendu Nwani

Tension intensified within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State after the party chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, confronted the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Attah, over his public endorsement of a 2027 governorship contender.

The rift erupted when Attah reportedly backed Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau as the party’s preferred candidate for the 2027 Kano governorship race — a move the party leadership considered unauthorized.

In a letter addressed to the minister, Abbas condemned the endorsement as “unguarded,” warning that such comments could fuel disunity and misinterpretation within the party. He insisted that only the party leadership and its authorised spokespersons were empowered to speak on sensitive internal matters, stressing that any violation could attract disciplinary action.

But Attah fired back through his media aide, Seyi Olorunsola, defending his remark as a legitimate exercise of his democratic rights. The minister said his position was a personal political assessment meant to provide strategic insight — not an official party directive.

Attah reaffirmed his loyalty to the APC and President Bola Tinubu, saying his support for Senator Barau stemmed from grassroots feedback and his desire to stimulate constructive debate before the party begins its formal nomination process. He also urged party stakeholders to avoid escalating internal disagreements at a time Nigeria is battling serious security concerns.