The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has said its national leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and the people of Kano State feel betrayed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf following his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Yusuf formally joined the APC on Monday after weeks of speculation and stalled attempts to move to the ruling party. He said the decision was taken in the “best interest of the people of Kano State.”
The governor, who resigned from the NNPP on Friday, attributed his exit to what he described as deepening internal crises and prolonged leadership disputes within the party.
The move has widened the rift between Yusuf and Kwankwaso and has already led to the resignation of some cabinet members said to be loyal to the former Kano governor.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, on Monday night, Ladipo Johnson, NNPP national spokesperson, said Kwankwaso and the people of Kano were deeply disappointed by Yusuf’s action.
“Naturally, he feels betrayed. But this is not just about him,” Johnson said. “The people endured eight years of what they described as bad governance and came out en masse to give a mandate to the NNPP through the leadership of Kwankwaso.”
He said the party had no established political structure in Kano before the elections but won largely due to Kwankwaso’s influence and grassroots support.
“They voted for the NNPP from scratch. We had no councillor, no local government chairman, yet we won the state. They stood by Abba Kabir Yusuf from the tribunal to the Court of Appeal and all the way to the Supreme Court,” Johnson said.
According to him, defecting to the APC without consulting the electorate amounted to a breach of public trust.
“Without consulting the people, you return power to those who were voted out after eight years. That is betrayal, no matter how it is presented,” he added.
Johnson also dismissed suggestions that Yusuf could have won the governorship election without Kwankwaso’s backing.
“I am sure His Excellency, Abba Kabir Yusuf, would not stand anywhere in the world to make that claim,” he said.
Also speaking on the programme, Ibrahim Karaye, NNPP public relations officer, said the party was hurt by the development but remained politically strong in Kano.
“We are deeply pained. We feel betrayed and unhappy about this decision, but NNPP is still strong and remains the party to beat in Kano,” Karaye said.
He also rejected Yusuf’s claim that internal party disputes forced his defection, insisting that the explanation did not reflect the reality within the NNPP.
