Fabian Apechihin

Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State is set to defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, a member of the state executive council has confirmed.

According to the source, the APC is already preparing to receive the governor, who is said to have concluded wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders and the electorate ahead of the move. The defection was initially scheduled for January 5 but was postponed to allow further engagement, particularly with Kano State’s National Assembly members, to ensure broad support.

“Yes, of course, the governor is joining the APC tomorrow (Monday) with all his NNPP supporters,” a commissioner told The Nation on Sunday.

Former Kano State Governor and immediate past APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, returned to Nigeria from Dubai on Sunday to participate in the defection ceremony. Ganduje, alongside the Kano APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, had earlier formally invited Yusuf to join the party, assuring him of full cooperation from the party’s leadership in the state.

Governor Yusuf, who was elected on the NNPP platform backed by Rabiu Kwankwaso, is said to have decided to move to the ruling APC to strengthen his capacity to deliver development projects across the state.

However, the factional leader of the NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has opposed the defection, insisting that Yusuf should vacate his office if he chooses to leave the party. The disagreement has further deepened divisions within the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement.

It was gathered that Yusuf will defect alongside all local government chairmen in the state and NNPP members of the Kano State House of Assembly.

Sources also disclosed that the governor feels more secure in the APC due to ongoing leadership disputes and court cases within the NNPP, which he fears could threaten his mandate.

Fabian Apechihin

A photograph showing Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, greeting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sparked widespread debate on social media after Atiku shared the image online.

In the photo, Obi appears slightly bent while shaking hands with Atiku, a posture some Nigerians have interpreted as a sign of submission or excessive deference. Critics argue that such body language is unbecoming of a politician aspiring to the nation’s highest office, with some describing it as evidence of low self-esteem or political weakness.

Others have gone further to suggest that the image raises questions about Obi’s ability to assert himself politically, particularly within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where both leaders are reportedly aligned.

However, activist and public commentator Maduabuchi Idam has dismissed these interpretations as shallow and misleading, urging Nigerians to focus on leadership competence rather than body language.

In a statement made available to journalists, Idam acknowledged that the image could easily be misread by casual observers but warned against attaching excessive symbolism to a single moment.

He noted that Obi has consistently portrayed himself as calm, disciplined and principled, stressing that gentleness should not be mistaken for weakness.

“This picture has been trending since it surfaced online after being posted by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar himself. The attention it has generated is understandable,” Idam said.

“Mr Peter Obi was seen greeting Atiku Abubakar while slightly bent. Some have described this as a character trait of sycophants or favour seekers.

“However, Peter Obi has always presented himself as gentle but firm, calm yet resolute. His disposition has never suggested aggression, and this should not be used to undermine his capacity for leadership.”

Idam added that Nigeria’s political challenges stem not from a lack of assertive personalities but from the repeated imposition of unsuitable leaders on the country.

He urged Nigerians to promote authenticity among political actors rather than rewarding pretence, emphasising that leadership should be judged by competence, capacity and integrity, not optics.

“Nigeria’s problem is not the absence of haughty characters but the habit of forcing square pegs into round holes,” he concluded.

Fabian Apechihin

Renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has demanded accountability from a private Lagos hospital over the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege, alleging medical negligence and serious professional lapses.

In a legal notice dated January 10, 2026, Adichie and her partner, Dr Ivara Esege, through their solicitors, accused the hospital, its anaesthesiologist and attending medical staff of breaching their duty of care, leading to the child’s death in the early hours of January 7, 2026.

According to the notice, signed by the law firm led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, the child—born on March 25, 2024—was referred to the hospital on January 6 from Atlantis Pediatric Hospital for diagnostic and preparatory procedures ahead of a planned medical evacuation to the United States.

The procedures reportedly included an echocardiogram, brain MRI, insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line) and a lumbar puncture. A specialist medical team in the United States was said to be on standby to receive the child.

The solicitors stated that intravenous sedation using propofol was administered during the procedures. However, during transfer to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory after the MRI, the child allegedly developed sudden and severe complications.

Despite being under sedation, he was reportedly moved between clinical areas under conditions that raised “serious and substantive concerns” about compliance with established patient-safety protocols. He was later pronounced dead in the early hours of January 7.

The legal notice outlined several alleged lapses in paediatric anaesthetic and procedural care, including concerns over the cumulative dosing of propofol in a critically ill child, inadequate airway protection, lack of continuous physiological monitoring, and transfer without supplemental oxygen, proper monitoring or sufficient medical personnel.

Other concerns raised included questions about the availability of resuscitation equipment and alleged delays in recognising and managing respiratory or cardiovascular distress. The parents also accused the hospital of failing to comply with standard paediatric anaesthesia, patient-transfer and safety protocols.

Another major allegation was the hospital’s alleged failure to adequately disclose the risks and side effects of propofol and other anaesthetic agents, which the parents said undermined the requirement for informed consent.

The solicitors argued that these actions amounted to prima facie breaches of duty of care, making the hospital and the medical personnel involved liable for medical negligence resulting in the child’s death.

As part of their demands, the parents requested certified copies of all medical records relating to their son’s treatment within seven days. These include admission notes, consent forms, anaesthetic records, drug administration logs, monitoring charts, procedural notes, nursing observations, ICU records, incident reports and the identities of all medical staff involved.

They also demanded internal reviews, MRI suite safety logs and related documentation, while placing the hospital on notice to preserve all evidence, including CCTV footage, electronic monitoring data, pharmacy records, emergency equipment logs and internal communications.

The solicitors warned that any destruction or alteration of evidence would be treated as obstruction of justice and stressed that failure to comply would compel the parents to pursue all available legal, regulatory and judicial remedies against the hospital and the medical personnel involved.