NNPP Slams Abba Yusuf’s Defection as ‘Betrayal’ of Kano Voters’ Mandate

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has expresseddisappointment over the resignation of Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, describingthe move as a betrayal of the mandate given to him by voters. In a statement issued on Friday, Ladipo Johnson, NNPPnational publicity secretary, said Yusuf was elected on the strength of hislong association with the Kwankwasiyya Movement and the trust of the people ofKano state. Johnson rejected the governor’s claim that his exit was dueto an irredeemable crisis within the party, describing the assertion as“baseless” and an afterthought. “It is with profound anguish and deep disappointment that wereceived the news of the resignation and defection of His Excellency, AlhajiAbba Kabir Yusuf, from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP),” the statementreads. “We deeply regret that Governor Abba, a man entrusted by thepeople of Kano State on the strength of his decades of unwavering loyalty anddedicated service to the Kwankwasiyya Movement, has now chosen to betray thatsacred trust. “By this action, he risks returning the state to the veryforces that have long opposed its progress and the aspirations of its people.” The publicity secretary drew parallels with a similarpolitical development in Kano in the early 1980s, when Abubakar Rimi, formergovernor, defected from the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) to the NigerianPeople’s Party (NPP). He recalled that despite Rimi’s defection along with themajority of elected officials in the state, voters rejected the move in the1983 elections, resulting in his defeat by Aliyu Zuwo of the PRP. He added that only one out of the 120 state assembly memberswho defected with Rimi was re-elected. While describing Yusuf’s defection as painful, the NNPPspokesperson urged Kano residents and the party supporters to remain calm andavoid actions that could lead to division or unrest. Johnson noted history has shown that political disloyalty isoften judged by the electorate, adding that NNPP remains confident in theenduring loyalty of Kano’s electorate to what he described as principledleadership.

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