The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has described
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC)
as a betrayal of both the party and the people of Kano State.
NNPP National Spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson,
stated this on Monday while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics
Today.
Asked whether the party’s national leader, Senator
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, felt personally betrayed by Yusuf’s decision, Johnson
said the sense of betrayal went beyond Kwankwaso to the electorate that voted
for the NNPP.
“Naturally, he feels betrayed. But it is not just
about him. The people endured eight years of what they described as bad
governance and came out in their numbers to give a mandate to the NNPP through
the leadership of Kwankwaso,” Johnson said.
‘People Voted NNPP From Scratch’
Johnson stressed that the NNPP had no established
political structure in Kano before the 2023 elections but still won the
governorship.
“They voted the NNPP from scratch. We had no
councillor, no chairman, yet we won the state. They stood by Abba Kabir Yusuf
from the tribunal to the Court of Appeal and up to the Supreme Court,” he said.
According to him, defecting to the APC without
consulting the electorate amounted to a breach of public trust.
“Without consulting the people, you hand power back to
those who were voted out after eight years. That is an act of betrayal, no
matter how you try to sugar-coat it,” Johnson added.
Claims Yusuf Could Win Without Kwankwaso
Dismissed
Reacting to claims that Yusuf could have emerged
governor without Kwankwaso’s backing, Johnson dismissed the narrative as
revisionist.
“It is easy to say that now. They are enjoying their
five minutes. I am sure His Excellency, Abba Kabir Yusuf, would not stand up
anywhere in the world to say that,” he said.
Also speaking on the programme, NNPP Public Relations
Officer, Ibrahim Karaye, said the party was deeply hurt by the
development but remained politically relevant in the state.
“We are really devastated. We feel betrayed and we are
not happy with this development. But NNPP is still strong and remains the party
to beat in Kano,” Karaye said.
‘Governor Shut Out Party Leaders’
Karaye alleged that some party stakeholders were aware
of Yusuf’s intention to defect but were sidelined. He dismissed claims that the
governor left due to internal crises within the NNPP.
“The governor closed his doors. There was no access to
him,” he said.
Yusuf Defects to APC With Lawmakers
Governor Yusuf officially defected to the APC on
Monday alongside 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly and nine
members of the House of Representatives.
The announcement was made at a political event at the Coronation
Hall, Government House, Kano, attended by prominent APC leaders including
former party National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, Deputy Senate
President Barau Jibrin, and Chairman of the House Committee on
Appropriation, Abubakar Kabiru Bichi.
Addressing supporters, Yusuf said his decision
followed extensive consultations and was aimed at strengthening governance and
accelerating development in the state.
“We are choosing partnership rather than polarisation.
Political parties are vehicles; the destination is to bring positive change to
the people of Kano. Judge this decision by the work we do,” he said.
End of the Kwankwasiyya Alliance
Yusuf’s rise to the governorship was closely tied to Kwankwaso
and the Kwankwasiyya movement, which provided the grassroots support that
powered his victory in the 2023 election, where he polled 1,019,602 votes.
While Yusuf remained loyal to Kwankwaso during
prolonged legal battles over his mandate, tensions over political control and
autonomy eventually strained their relationship, culminating in their split in January
2026.
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