PROFILE: Kano NNPP governorship candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf

By Braimoh Musa On Mar 9, 2023

Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) governorship candidate in Kano, Abba Kabir Yusuf was born on 5^th January 1963 to the family of Malam Kabiru Yusuf and Malama Khadijatul-Naja’atu in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano.

Abubakar (nicknamed Abba, which became his official name) started his Islamic education at an early age under the guidance of his late grandfather, Danmakwayon Kano, Alhaji Yusuf Bashari who was the then District Head of Gaya.

He attended Sumaila primary school between 1968 and 1975. He then proceeded to Government Secondary School Dawakin Tofa and later moved to Government Secondary school Lautai in Gumel where he completed his secondary education in 1980.

Young Abba gained admission into the Federal Polytechnic Mubi in the defunct Gongola state, where he bagged his National Diploma (ND) in Civil Engineering in 1985 and later obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Water Resources/Environmental Engineering in 1989 at the famous Kaduna Polytechnic.

He had his mandatory one-year National Youth Service at Kaduna Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA) from 1989 to 1990.

His quest for knowledge pushed him to pursue higher certificates. Abba obtained a postgraduate diploma in management and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the prestigious Bayero University Kano.

Abba K. Yusuf began his career with the Kano State Water Resources Engineering and Construction Agency (WRECA), Kano State Water Board and later the Ministry of Water Resources where he held various positions of leadership. He also held some political appointments such as Assistant Secretary, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Employees, Kano State, 1996–1998.

In 2003, he was appointed as the Deputy Director of Mobilization for Youths, Women and Students Movement by the PDP Presidential Campaign.

He was appointed as Personal Assistant to the then Kano State Governor, Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso and later Special Assistant (Administration) between 1999 – 2003. When Kwankwaso was appointed as the Minister of Defense, Abba was appointed as the Personal Assistant to the Minister of Defense from 2003 to 2006. He became Publicity Secretary of the Forum of Personal Assistants to the Ministers of Federal Republic of Nigeria from 2004 to 2006.

Abba later became the Special Assistant to the Special Adviser to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Darfur/Somalia until 2007. He was the Ex-Officio I of the Kano State PDP Executive Council in 2009.

Alhaji Yusuf was appointed by the late President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’adua, as the chairman, Governing Board of the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), Ondo State from 2009 to 2011.

When Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso won the election as the Governor of Kano State for the second time, in 2011, Abba K. Yusuf was appointed as the First Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to the governor, and subsequently appointed as the Commissioner of Works, Housing and Transport.