Ibrahim Shekarau, former governor of Kano, has weighed in onthe rumoured defection of Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, to the All ProgressivesCongress (APC) without the endorsement of Rabiu Kwankwaso, national leader ofthe New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). Speaking in an interview with an online platform, DCL Hausa,Shekarau said Yusuf’s planned defection should not be viewed as a betrayal ofKwankwaso, former governor of Kano. Shekarau, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, saidKwankwaso has no moral ground to insist that Yusuf should relinquish hismandate before leaving the NNPP. He reminded Kwankwaso that he, too, defected from the PDP tothe APC in 2013 while serving as governor, without vacating the seat. Shekarau said he is surprised by comments from theKwankwasiyya movement demanding that Yusuf vacate office before any defection. “When he was governor under PDP, he decamped to APC with thegovernorship seat. Why didn’t he return it to PDP?” Shekarau asked. “The same way he took PDP’s mandate to APC is likely howAbba will take NNPP’s to APC. If this is now a crime, it was your boss,Kwankwaso, who started it. “Kwankwaso has defected multiple times — from PDP to APC,back to PDP, and then to NNPP. He always had his reasons and consulted hispeople. If Abba has his reasons, consults his people, and they agree, I won’tcall it betrayal.” Shekarau criticised Kwankwaso’s public demand for apresidential or vice-presidential ticket before any future defection, advisinghim to negotiate privately with party leaders instead.
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