Dr Yusuf Ibrahim Kofar-Mata, immediate past Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation in Kano State, has described Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as “total betrayal”, saying the governor betrayed his political mentor and the mandate of the Kwankwassiya movement.

The comments came in an interview with Vanguard on Sunday, February 1, 2026.

Governor Yusuf, who was elected governor in 2023 on the platform of the NNPP with strong support from the party’s national leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the Kwankwassiya movement, resigned from the NNPP and formally joined the APC in late January 2026.

The defection has triggered political realignments in Kano State, including the resignation of several party loyalists from government positions.

Kofar-Mata, the first political appointee to resign after Yusuf’s defection, said the governor’s decision was a betrayal of decades-long political loyalty.

He noted that Yusuf had spent nearly 40 years in close political partnership with Kwankwaso, who trusted him with key responsibilities and party credentials. “We view it as betrayal. In fact, we have never seen such a betrayal in our lifetime,” he said.

The former commissioner said the NNPP’s governing mandate and popular support in Kano State belonged to the party and its leadership, not to any individual office holder.

He insisted that the movement’s supporters and the people of Kano who voted overwhelmingly for the NNPP in 2023 did so because of their trust in the party’s ideology and leadership.

Kofar-Mata dismissed claims by the governor that his defection was in the interest of the state, arguing that citing security and development as reasons was unjustified given ongoing insecurity in other APC-led states.

He described the move as driven by personal interest rather than the welfare of the people.

The former commissioner said: “We see the defection of Governor Abba as a total betrayal of the Kwankwassiya Movement and also of the people of Kano State.

Because more than one million people voted for Kwankwassiya’s NNPP, not because of Governor Abba, but because of the trust they have in the Kwankwassiya Movement and its leader.”

The sharp criticism from a senior former official highlight widening political tensions in Kano State following Governor Yusuf’s defection.

It reflects broader struggles within Nigerian political parties where high-profile defections can trigger realignments and disputes over popular mandates.

Analysts say the fallout may influence party cohesion and voter sentiment in Kano ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Dr Yusuf Ibrahim Kofar-Mata’s resignation and condemnation of Governor Yusuf’s defection as “total betrayal” underscore deep fractures within Kano’s political landscape.

The debate over loyalty, mandate and party identity is likely to remain a key feature of state politics as stakeholders prepare for future electoral contests.