The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has described the defection of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as an act of betrayal of the party and its leader, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
NNPP National Spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson, stated this on Monday while speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Asked whether Kwankwaso felt personally betrayed by the governor’s decision, Johnson said the feeling went beyond the party leader to the people of Kano State.
“Naturally, he [Kwankwaso] feels betrayed. But it is not just about him. The people [Kano] 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.
He noted that the party had no existing political structure in the state before the election but still secured victory.
“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,” the spokesman said.
Johnson argued that defecting to the APC without consulting the electorate amounted to a betrayal 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,” he said.
Reacting to claims that Yusuf could have become governor without Kwankwaso’s support, Johnson dismissed the narrative.
“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 strong in Kano.
“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.
He alleged that key party stakeholders were aware of the governor’s plans to leave but were sidelined and dismissed claims that Yusuf left due to internal crises within the NNPP.
He further alleged that party leaders had limited access to the governor and were unable to offer advice.
“The governor closed his doors. There was no access to him,” he said.
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 held at the Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano.
Addressing party leaders, lawmakers and supporters, Yusuf said the decision followed extensive consultations across the state.
The governor explained that the move was aimed at strengthening governance and accelerating development.
“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 for the people,” Yusuf said.
Prominent APC leaders at the event included former party National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje; Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin; and Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abubakar Kabiru Bichi.
Governor Yusuf’s rise to the Kano governorship was closely tied to Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya movement until their split.
Yusuf was widely seen as Kwankwaso’s political protégé and rose through the movement’s strong grassroots structure and popular support.
Kwankwaso’s backing was widely credited for Yusuf’s victory in the 2023 governorship election on the NNPP platform, where he polled 1,019,602 votes to defeat the APC candidate.
However, Yusuf’s time in office brought growing pressure for him to assert independence as a constitutionally elected governor.
While he remained loyal to Kwankwaso during prolonged court battles over his mandate, tensions over political control and autonomy eventually strained their relationship.
Credit: Channels TV
