Godfatherism: Rivers, Kano Thrown Into Political Turmoil as Kwankwaso, Wike Battle Sitting Governors
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, several sitting governors angling for second terms are confronting growing political headwinds after falling out with the powerful figures who once sponsored their rise.
Across a number of states, governors—particularly those elected on opposition platforms—have sought political cover within the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal establishment as 2027 approaches. In the process, their former godfathers have been politically sidelined, triggering bitter rifts that now threaten incumbents’ re-election ambitions.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, have both become entangled in high-stakes confrontations with their estranged political benefactors following moves linked to the ruling APC. The disputes have escalated into open power struggles, with the godfathers vowing to frustrate their former protégés’ return bids.
PulseNets learnt that Governor Fubara is locked in a fierce rivalry with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, while Governor Yusuf is battling Rabiu Kwankwaso, his former political mentor and national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Kwankwaso vs Yusuf
Governor Abba Yusuf and Rabiu Kwankwaso, the NNPP’s 2023 presidential candidate, have reportedly fallen apart over Yusuf’s decision to align with the ruling party.
PulseNets reported that although the Kano governor is yet to formally announce his defection, senior aides and members of the Kano State House of Assembly have privately confirmed his intention to dump the NNPP for the APC.
Governor Yusuf’s victory in the 2023 governorship election was widely attributed to the massive grassroots backing of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, personally led by Kwankwaso. That political support, PulseNets gathered, is now being systematically withdrawn following Yusuf’s planned exit from the NNPP.
Sources within the Kano political space told PulseNets that several loyalists of Kwankwaso currently serving in Yusuf’s administration are preparing to resign once the defection becomes official.
One senior insider disclosed that Mustapha Kwankwaso, the Kano State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, is expected to vacate his position ahead of the governor’s imminent move to the APC. It was further obtained by PulseNets that no fewer than seven other cabinet members loyal to the NNPP leader will also step aside immediately Yusuf joins the ruling party.
Meanwhile, PulseNets learnt that the NNPP has already commenced quiet consultations to identify a potential replacement for Yusuf ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
Wike vs Fubara
In Rivers State, tensions between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, have simmered since the aftermath of the 2023 general election, with at least three major fallouts recorded so far.
The most recent clash reportedly stemmed from Fubara’s alignment with the ruling party and his alleged refusal to honour a political understanding said to have been brokered by President Bola Tinubu during the period of emergency rule in Rivers State.
Although details of the agreement were never made public, PulseNets learnt that the deal allegedly included a commitment by Governor Fubara not to seek a second term. However, since his defection to the APC, there have been strong indications that the governor is positioning himself for re-election, reportedly with the backing of influential figures within the ruling party.
In response, Wike recently embarked on a 17-day political tour across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State, a move widely interpreted as an effort to reclaim control of the state’s political structure ahead of 2027.
During the tour, the former governor openly vowed to block Fubara’s re-election, reportedly declaring that his own political career could be over if the incumbent governor secures a second term.
Impeachment plot thickens
Beyond electoral threats, PulseNets gathered that lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the FCT minister are pushing for more immediate action against the governor.
The pro-Wike lawmakers have initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, serving them with notices on allegations of gross misconduct. Among the claims are accusations of illegal expenditure of state funds and the governor’s alleged failure to present the 2026 budget to the Assembly.
However, reacting to the development, the immediate past Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Sydney Gbara, dismissed the impeachment move as politically motivated and unnecessary.
Also Read: Impeachment Threats: Fubara Politically Safe in APC — Jandor
Speaking to PulseNets, Gbara argued that the accusations surrounding the budget lack legal grounding, noting that Rivers State operated under emergency rule during the relevant period.
“This is a needless distraction. When the same action is repeated without a clear justification, you begin to question the real intention behind it,” he said.
“One of their major allegations concerns the 2025 budget. Everyone knows that the National Assembly passed that budget in June last year during the emergency rule, and it was duly assented to by the President,” Gbara explained.
“A budget has a one-year lifespan. That budget remains valid until July this year. The governor cannot be expected to re-present a budget that has already been passed and signed into law,” he added.
As 2027 draws closer, PulseNets observed that the deepening cracks between governors and their former godfathers may redefine political alignments and electoral outcomes in key battleground states.
