The former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has hosted former Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, ahead of his planned defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In a statement posted on his official X handle on Sunday, Atiku disclosed that the meeting centred on the discussion on the state of the nation.

Atiku wrote, “This evening, I received the former Governor of Kano State and the Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), H.E Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on a courtesy visit. We had a robust discussion on the state of the nation.”

In an earlier announcement on Saturday, the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Kwankwaso’s political loyalist, disclosed that the former Governor is set to defect and formally register as a member of the ADC on Monday.

The Kano State political alignment had taken a different shape in the last few months, with the Governor of the state, Abba Yusuf, a staunch member of the Kwankwasiyya movement, decamping from the NNPP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and declaring support for President Bola Tinubu against his political principal, Kwankwaso.

In a related development, Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam resigned from his position, with political analysts citing the ongoing loyalty tussle within the state’s political leadership.

According to a statement last Friday, Abdussalam disclosed that the decision was taken in the interest of the people and to ensure stability in governance in Kano State.

The Kano State House of Assembly had earlier initiated an impeachment process against Abdussalam.

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The deputy governor was served a notice of impeachment, which was issued over allegations of breach of trust, abuse of office, and gross misconduct.

No fewer than 38 members of the Assembly signed the notice, which was presented during plenary in compliance with Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

The section outlines the procedure for the removal of a deputy governor from office.

The development comes amid political realignments in the state, following the defection of Governor Abba Yusuf from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), while the Deputy Governor remained in the NNPP.

Public speculation suggests that the House of Assembly initiated the impeachment due to the Deputy Governor’s unwavering loyalty to the old political structure and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the state’s perceived political godfather.

However, the Kwankwasiyya Movement clarified that the resignation is not connected to recent allegations of misappropriation and abuse of office raised by the Kano State House of Assembly.

The statement stressed that Abdussalam is expected to focus on the activities of the Kwankwasiyya Movement.