Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been described as a betrayal of trust by the NNPP national spokesman, Ladipo Johnson.
The comments came during a televised interview on Monday following Yusuf’s formal announcement of the move at the Government House in Kano.
Johnson said the sense of betrayal was felt not only by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the NNPP national leader, but also by Kano voters who helped deliver the party’s victory in the 2023 governorship election.
He stressed that the electorate backed the party from grassroots levels, despite it having had no prior political structures in the state.
“Naturally, he feels betrayed, but this extends beyond Senator Kwankwaso,” Johnson said.
“The people of Kano supported NNPP from scratch. They stood by Abba Kabir Yusuf through tribunal challenges, the Court of Appeal, and even up to the Supreme Court.”
The spokesman criticised Yusuf for joining the APC without consulting the electorate, arguing that returning power to a party previously voted out after eight years undermined public trust.
“Returning power to the same party that was voted out after eight years, without consulting the people, is a betrayal of trust,” he said.
Another NNPP official, Ibrahim Karaye, the party’s Public Relations Officer, described the development as painful but insisted that the party remained politically strong in Kano.
He denied that internal crises led to Yusuf’s exit, alleging that party leaders were gradually shut out and could not offer advice. “There was no access to him. The doors were closed, and we could not offer counsel,” Karaye said.
Yusuf’s defection on Monday included 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly and nine members of the House of Representatives.
At the event, the governor said the decision followed consultations across the state and was aimed at enhancing governance and development. “We are choosing partnership rather than polarisation,” he said.
Senator Kwankwaso’s political influence was widely credited for Yusuf’s victory in 2023, with his Kwankwasiyya movement providing strong grassroots support.
The party won the governorship with more than one million votes, defeating the APC candidate.
The defection has triggered political realignments in Kano, with loyalists of Kwankwaso reportedly resigning from government positions in protest and party officials expressing deep hurt.
Analysts say the move highlights enduring fault lines within Kano’s political landscape and the challenges ahead for the NNPP.
In conclusion, the NNPP’s reaction underscores a significant political rupture between Governor Yusuf and his former party. The dispute over the nature and impact of the defection is likely to shape political dynamics in Kano ahead of future elections.
