Abba Kabir Yusuf

Abba Kabir Yusuf (born 5 January 1963) is a Nigerian politician who has served as governor of Kano State since May 2023.

Early life and education Abba Kabir Yusuf (born Abubakar, nicknamed Abba, which became his official name) was born on 5 January 1963 into the Sullubawa Fulani clan, the ruling class of the Kano Emirate, from the family of Malam Kabiru Yusuf and Malama Khadijatul-Naja'atu in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State.

Yusuf started his Islamic education at an early age under the guidance of his late grandfather, Danmakwayon Kano, Alhaji Yusuf Bashari (grandson of Galadiman Kano Yusuf and great grandson of Sarkin Kano Abdullahi Maje Karofi) who was then District Head of Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria.

Career Yusuf served the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at Kaduna Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA) from 1989 to 1990.

He was appointed by Kano State Water Resources Engineering and Construction Agency (WRECA), where he held various positions. but his petition was dismissed.

In 2022, Yusuf moved from the Peoples Democratic Party to the New Nigeria Peoples Party, where he was again endorsed by Kwankwaso to challenge Nasir Yusuf Gawuna in the 2023 elections. He was declared winner on 20 March 2023 and received his certificate of return on 29 March 2023.

Governor of Kano State Yusuf was elected governor of Kano State on 18 March 2023 under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party alongside Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, his running mate.

They were sworn into office on 29 May 2023.

The Deputy Governor of Kano State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, resigned from office following political disagreements with Governor Yusuf, including a party defection. Subsequently, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf nominated Murtala Sule Garo as his replacement.

Outcome of election tribunal After Yusuf's victory, the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has challenged the victory and filed a petition to the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. The tribunal court declared Nasir Gawuna of APC as the winner of the 18 March election on Wednesday, 20 September 2023, and sacked Yusuf, the candidate of NNPP, from the governor of Kano State. Yusuf challenged the decision of the election petition tribunal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja. The Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the election petition tribunal that earlier nullified the governor's election. After the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Yusuf approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Court of Appeal's verdict. On 12 January 2024, the Supreme Court in Abuja overruled the Court of Appeal's decision and affirmed Yusuf as the duly elected governor of Kano State.

Reinstatement of dethroned emir On 23 May 2024, Yusuf announced the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi as Emir of Kano, who had been deposed in 2020 by then governor Umar Ganduje. He signed the law reinstating Sanusi at 5:10 pm, in the presence of his deputy, the Speaker of the State Assembly and other principal officers in his administration.