As governor, Kwankwaso also defected to APC — Waiya

By Bashir Bello

Kano State Commissioner for  Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, in this interview, speaks on insinuations that Governor Abba Yusuf’s defection amounts to betrayal. He says the governor’s fate in New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, was uncertain, making his movement to All Progressives Congress, APC, inevitable.

How true is it that the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, is experiencing an internal crisis?

Initially, the logo of the NNPP was a basket of fruits. Along the line, there was an attempt to change the logo to a book, which the founders felt breached agreements because they were not consulted. They approached the court. About two courts ruled against the book logo.

In Kano, we have three leaders, Hashim Dungurawa, Kwankwaso and  Elmasud Doguwa. Even the  fruit basket faction, at some point, said it suspended the governor, who was the only governor produced by the party. You should know that there is a serious crisis.

How would you remain in such a party where there is this kind of internal crisis? He decided to move because we knew we didn’t have a party. We knew it didn’t exist.

And the founder of the party, Mr. Boniface, at every fora expressed displeasure over the development and change of logo. You have the NNPP faction of Boniface and NNPP faction of Kwankwasiyya.

If you would recall, that was the genesis of the crisis, which led to the defection of people like Ali Madaki, Alhassan Rurum and others who said they belonged to the NNPP with a fruit basket logo before they eventually defected to another party.

But is Kwankwaso not aware of all these?

He is aware of all these, including all court  rulings, among others.

How do you expect someone like the governor to remain in that kind of party? If you continue to remain there, what is your fate? In the near future, the party won’t be legally recognised.

But the Deputy Governor is yet to defect…

The governor and his deputy were a joint ticket. Since he decided not to follow his principal, what we expect is for him to honourably step down.

If you asked  the Deputy Governor to resign, what about those calling on the governor to also relinquish power, given claims that the  mandate belongs to NNPP?

What we know is that the platform of NNPP was used to win the election, but it was the people who voted for the governor. And he is working for the people. His loyalty is first to the people of Kano State and not anybody.

If this is perceived to be betrayal, what do you call other defections? This is not the first of its kind. He was the governor when he moved with his followers to APC, and we now have a similar scenario where the governor also moved with his followers to the APC.

You went into a bye-election with the book logo  and the Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC, recognised the party?

Up until now, the other faction ,Boniface faction, has been battling with INEC to recognise the court judgment that upheld the fruit basket logo. All the adjustments made were without their knowledge.

Recently, there was a court order delivered in Abuja against the national convention, which was held in Abuja.

Kwankwaso felt betrayed given how he assisted the governor. How do you react to this?

Didn’t you see pictures of what transpired when Ganduje hugged the governor? Since the creation of Kano State, there has never been such a moment.  All the leaders have put their  differences aside by resolving to work for the progress of Kano.

We prevailed on Kwankwaso and the governor to lead us to APC because NNPP doesn’t have any future. Kano, as an opposition state, was isolated. As we speak, the  metropolitan rail service that had been on the table for quite a long time has been approved by President Tinubu. Look at the improved relationship between  government and security agencies. Today, we have people like the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who will bring his quota to the table for the development of the state. It has also helped reduce  political tension in the state. But describing this as  betrayal is not good, particularly when it is coming from a politician who had  also defected in the past.

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