By Abubakar Yunusa
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has said Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State did not defect for selfish reasons but in the interest of the state’s development and prosperity.
The party, led by its founder, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, said Yusuf’s decision was driven by what it described as undue interference and “modern political slavery” within the party.
In a statement on Thursday by its National Vice Chairman (North-West), Alhaji Sani Danmasani, the NNPP accused former presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, of betraying the party’s founder and resisting reconciliation efforts.
The party said it was reacting to comments credited to Elder Buba Galadima on Arise Television concerning Yusuf’s defection.
Danmasani said, “Governor Yusuf did not leave for self-interest. He acted in self-defence and to protect the governance of Kano from undue interference.”
He alleged that Kwankwaso, not Yusuf, was the “main betrayer” in the ongoing political dispute, adding that efforts by Yusuf to reconcile aggrieved parties were resisted “out of arrogance and greed”.
The NNPP also claimed that Galadima and Kwankwaso were beneficiaries of the party’s platform ahead of the 2023 general elections but later attempted to hijack its structure.
According to the statement, Galadima had recounted on television how he travelled overnight from Enugu to Umuawulu, Anambra State, to meet Aniebonam in search of a political platform for Kwankwaso and his allies.
The party said, “Those crying betrayal today were the same people who benefited freely from the NNPP platform and later turned against the party’s founder.”
Danmasani further alleged that Yusuf’s defection to the All Progressives Congress had caused visible anger among Kwankwaso’s camp, urging their families to intervene to prevent further escalation.
The party maintained that Kwankwaso’s political influence in Kano had waned and would not affect Yusuf’s chances in the 2027 governorship election.
It advised Kwankwaso and his supporters to stop lamenting and instead seek reconciliation, insisting that Yusuf’s move was aimed at ensuring stability and progress in Kano State.
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