The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has said Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso feels betrayed by the decision of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to leave the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party’s National Spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson, made the assertion on Monday during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television, where he described the governor’s defection as a breach of trust involving both the party and the electorate in Kano State.
Johnson said the sense of betrayal was not limited to Kwankwaso but was shared by Kano voters who, he noted, had overwhelmingly backed the NNPP in the 2023 governorship election.
“Of course, he feels betrayed, but this goes beyond Senator Kwankwaso. The people of Kano suffered what they described as eight years of poor governance and turned out massively to entrust the NNPP with power through Kwankwaso’s leadership,” he said.
According to Johnson, the NNPP had no established political structure in Kano before the election but still secured victory due to popular support.
“We had no councillors, no local government chairmen, yet the people voted NNPP from the ground up. They stayed with Abba Kabir Yusuf through the tribunal, the Court of Appeal and even up to the Supreme Court,” he said.
He argued that Yusuf’s move to the APC, without first engaging the electorate, undermined that mandate.
“Returning power to the same party that was voted out after eight years, without consulting the people, is a betrayal of trust, no matter how it is presented,” Johnson added.
The NNPP spokesman also dismissed claims that Yusuf could have emerged governor without Kwankwaso’s support.
“It is convenient to say that now. People are enjoying their moment, but I am certain the governor himself would not stand anywhere and make such a claim,” he said.
Another NNPP official, Ibrahim Karaye, who serves as the party’s Public Relations Officer, said the defection was painful but insisted the party remained politically relevant in Kano.
“We are deeply hurt by this. We feel betrayed, but NNPP is still strong and remains the party to beat in Kano State,” Karaye said.
He denied suggestions that Yusuf left due to internal crises, alleging instead that party leaders were gradually shut out of the governor’s inner circle.
“There was no access to him. The doors were closed, and we could not offer counsel,” Karaye said.
Governor Yusuf formally joined the APC on Monday along with 22 members of the Kano State House of Assembly and nine members of the House of Representatives. The announcement was made at a political gathering at the Government House in Kano.
Explaining his decision, Yusuf said he acted after consultations across the state and insisted the move was driven by governance considerations.
“We are opting for partnership rather than polarisation. Political parties are only vehicles; the goal is to deliver positive change to the people of Kano. Judge this decision by our performance,” the governor said.
Yusuf’s political ascent was closely tied to Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya movement, whose grassroots structure was widely credited for his victory in the 2023 governorship election on the NNPP platform.
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