The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has said Rabiu Kwankwaso, its national leader, and the people of Kano feel betrayed by Abba Yusuf’s decision to dump the party to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Yusuf formally joined the APC on Monday, after weeks of efforts to complete his defection.
The governor said his defection to the ruling party was taken “in the best interest of the people of Kano state”.
Yusuf, who resigned from the NNPP on Friday, blamed the “deepening internal crises” and “prolonged leadership disputes” as reasons for his exit.
The decision has pitched Yusuf against Kwankwaso, triggering the resignation of some cabinet members loyal to the former governor.
Speaking on Monday night during his appearance on Politics Today, a programme on Channels TV, Ladipo Johnson, NNPP spokesperson, said Kwankwaso and the people of Kano feel betrayed by the governor’s decision.
“Naturally, he [Kwankwaso] feels betrayed. But it is not just about him. The people endured eight years of what they described as bad governance and came out in their numbers to give a mandate to the NNPP through the leadership of Kwankwaso,” he said.
He said the party lacked an established political structure in the state before the election, but won through Kwankwaso’s support.
“They [voters] voted the NNPP from scratch. We had no councillor, no chairman, yet we won the state. They stood by Abba Kabir Yusuf from the tribunal to the court of appeal and up to the supreme court,” Johnson said.
Johnson said moving to the APC without seeking voters’ consent was a breach of public confidence.
“Without consulting the people, you hand power back to those who were voted out after eight years. That is an act of betrayal, no matter how you try to sugar-coat it,” the NNPP spokesperson said.
He dismissed the idea that Yusuf could have won the election without Kwankwaso’s backing.
“I am sure his excellency, Abba Kabir Yusuf, would not stand up anywhere in the world to say that,” Johnson said.
Ibrahim Karaye, NNPP public relations officer, who also featured on the programme, said the party was pained by the development but remained politically resilient in Kano.
“We are really devastated. We feel betrayed, and we are not happy with this development. But NNPP is still strong and remains the party to beat in Kano,” Karaye said.
Karaye brushed off the governor’s claim that he dumped the NNPP due to internal disputes.
