The New Nigeria Peoples Party has taken a firm and dramatic stance in the growing political tension in Kano State, declaring that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf does not require the approval of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to defect to the All Progressives Congress or remain within the NNPP.
The party said the Kano governor’s political future rests solely on his constitutional rights, not on the endorsement of any individual, no matter how influential. This declaration comes amid intense speculation surrounding Yusuf’s alleged plan to dump the NNPP for the APC, a move that has sparked sharp reactions within the Kwankwasiyya political bloc.
Speaking in Lagos, the NNPP National Secretary, Ogini Olaposi, dismissed claims credited to Kwankwaso’s spokesman, Ladipo Johnson, that the former presidential candidate had not endorsed Yusuf’s reported defection. Olaposi stressed that such endorsement was unnecessary, noting that Governor Yusuf is not only the party’s only sitting governor but also its undisputed leader.
According to Olaposi, the governor neither needs Kwankwaso’s consent to stay in the NNPP nor his permission to leave. He said Yusuf’s political choices are protected by the Constitution, especially in light of the legal battles surrounding his mandate in Kano.
While advising the governor to remain with the NNPP, Olaposi admitted that the party understands the pressures he faces and would not stand in his way should he decide to move on. He added that the NNPP harbours no hostility toward the APC or any other party and therefore cannot force its governor to stay against his will.
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Olaposi warned against what he described as intimidation, blackmail, or godfatherism, insisting that no such tactics could stop Yusuf if he had resolved to defect. He praised the governor’s performance in Kano State, saying the party would not become an obstacle to governance by entangling him in internal power struggles.
In a sharp rebuke, the NNPP official urged Kwankwaso and members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement to stop distracting the governor and allow him to focus on administering Kano State. He questioned whether Kwankwaso’s opposition to Yusuf’s alleged defection was driven by genuine party concerns or personal grievances against the APC.
Responding to claims that Kwankwaso described the planned defection as a “cold betrayal of trust,” the NNPP said the accusation was ironic. The party argued that Kwankwaso himself once benefited from the platform provided by the NNPP to contest the 2023 presidential election and later attempted to dominate the party.
The NNPP reaffirmed its support for Governor Yusuf regardless of the path he chooses, while still appealing to him to reconsider and remain in the party. Olaposi also reiterated that Kwankwaso remains expelled from the NNPP, describing the decision as final and taken in the best interest of the party.
