By Jude Opara
A faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) loyal to the party’s founder, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, has said that Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf did not leave the Kwankwasiyya movement and the NNPP for personal reasons.
The group said Yusuf left the party because of what it described as attempts by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to suppress and dominate him.
According to the faction, it was Kwankwaso who betrayed the trust of the NNPP founder, not the Governor.
The NNPP faction said Yusuf made several efforts, as the party’s leader, to resolve internal disputes but was repeatedly frustrated.
It added that its position followed comments by Engineer Buba Galadima on Yusuf’s reported move from the NNPP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued by the NNPP’s Deputy National Chairman (North West), Alhaji Sani Danmasani, the party advised Kwankwaso and his associates to seek intervention from family members and close allies, including Buba Galadima, before the situation worsen.
“Their distress is so significant that it could lead to depression if urgent action is not taken. It is likely that these prominent figures are experiencing sleepless nights,” it said.
The statement said the party closely observed Galadima’s recent television appearance and noticed signs of distress.
It claimed that Yusuf’s move to the APC deeply affected both Kwankwaso and Galadima, which it said was evident in their bitter and emotional remarks.
The faction warned that such emotional strain could lead to serious mental health challenges if urgent steps are not taken.
It described it as unfair to accuse Yusuf of betraying the NNPP for joining the APC, arguing that Kwankwaso and Galadima had benefited from the party without making corresponding sacrifices.
The group said Yusuf’s decision was an act of self-defence against what it called “modern-day servitude” and undue interference by Kwankwaso in the administration of Kano State.
It urged Kwankwaso and his supporters to seek God’s guidance and forgiveness, insisting that Kwankwaso’s influence in Kano politics has declined.
