NNPP says Abba Yusuf needs no endorsement from Rabiu Kwankwaso to leave or remain in the party amid defection rumours
The New Nigeria Peoples Party has declared that Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf does not require the endorsement of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to either defect to another political party or remain within the NNPP.
Also read: Sullivan Chime Backs Tinubu’s Second Term in Southeast
The party stated that Governor Yusuf, as its sole sitting governor, is constitutionally free to decide his political future without seeking approval from any individual or group.
The clarification followed claims credited to Kwankwaso’s spokesman, Ladipo Johnson, who dismissed reports that the former NNPP presidential candidate had endorsed Yusuf’s alleged plan to defect to the All Progressives Congress.
Johnson had described reports of Kwankwaso’s endorsement as false, alleging that those plotting to leave the NNPP were deliberately misleading the public on the senator’s position.
Reacting, the NNPP National Secretary, Ogini Olaposi, said on Monday in Lagos that the governor neither needs Kwankwaso’s consent to leave the party nor his approval to remain.
Ogini Olaposi said the party would prefer Governor Yusuf to stay but acknowledged that ongoing legal and political pressures could influence his decision.
The NNPP official said the party harbours no hostility towards any political organisation, including the ruling APC, and would not compel its governor to remain against his will.
According to Ogini Olaposi, no form of intimidation or blackmail could stop Governor Yusuf if he had resolved to leave the party.
He described the governor’s performance in Kano State as commendable and said the party would not obstruct his progress.
The NNPP National Secretary urged Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya Movement to desist from distracting the governor, saying such actions could undermine governance in the state.
He questioned whether Kwankwaso’s opposition to the alleged defection was driven by personal grievances or political godfatherism, urging him to keep such views personal.
Responding to claims that Kwankwaso described the planned defection as a betrayal of trust, the NNPP said the criticism amounted to poetic justice, recalling the circumstances surrounding the senator’s expulsion from the party after the 2023 elections.
Also read: Sullivan Chime Backs Tinubu’s Second Term in Southeast
The party reiterated its support for Governor Yusuf, stating that while it advised him to reconsider and remain in the NNPP, it would respect any decision he takes in the interest of Kano State and his political future.
