NNPP Slams Abba Yusuf’s Defection To APC As ‘Betrayal’ Of Kano Voters, Kwankwaso
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has described the defection of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as an act of betrayal of the party and its leader, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
NNPP National Spokesman, Ladipo Johnson made the assertion on Monday while speaking as a guest on Channels TV’s Politics Today.
He argued that defecting to the APC without consulting the electorate amounted to a betrayal of public trust.
Asked whether Kwankwaso felt personally betrayed by the governor’s decision, Johnson said the feeling went beyond the party leader to the people of Kano State.
“Naturally, he (Kwankwaso) feels betrayed. But it is not just about him. The people [Kano] 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 noted that the party had no existing political structure in the state before the election but still secured victory.
“They 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. 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,” he said.
Also speaking on the programme, NNPP Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Karaye, said the party was deeply hurt by the development but remained politically strong 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.
