NNPP calls Abba Yusuf’s defection a breach of Kano voters’ mandate

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has strongly criticised the resignation and defection of Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, describing the move as a violation of the political mandate freely given to him by voters in the 2023 governorship election.

In a statement issued on Friday, the party said Yusuf’s decision to leave the NNPP was not only unexpected but also amounted to a betrayal of the trust placed in him by the people of Kano, who, it argued, voted largely on the basis of his long-standing association with the Kwankwasiyya political movement.

Ladipo Johnson, national publicity secretary of the NNPP, rejected the governor’s claim that his exit was necessitated by an “irreconcilable crisis” within the party, dismissing the explanation as unfounded and politically convenient.

According to the party, Yusuf’s electoral victory was inseparable from the political structure and grassroots mobilisation built over decades by the Kwankwasiyya Movement, rather than a personal political brand independent of the platform on which he contested.

“The resignation and defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf represents a painful and deeply disappointing development,” Johnson said. “He was entrusted with leadership by the people of Kano State on the strength of his loyalty to a movement that symbolised their political aspirations. To abandon that platform is to undermine the sacred trust placed in him.”

The NNPP warned that the governor’s action could weaken the political cohesion that brought the party to power in Kano and potentially reopen the state to forces that, in its view, had previously failed to deliver meaningful development or responsive governance.

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While the party did not explicitly name the political beneficiaries of Yusuf’s defection, it suggested that the move risked reversing gains made under the reformist political culture associated with Kwankwasiyya, a movement that has dominated Kano politics for much of the past two decades.

Johnson also drew historical parallels to underline the potential political consequences of the governor’s decision. He referenced events from the early 1980s, when Abubakar Rimi, then governor of Kano State, defected from the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) to the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP).

Despite defecting alongside the majority of elected officials in the state, Rimi lost his re-election bid in 1983 to Aliyu Sadiq Zuwo of the PRP, a result widely interpreted at the time as voter rejection of political disloyalty.

“History teaches us that the electorate often distinguishes between personal ambition and collective political values,” Johnson said, noting that only one out of 120 state assembly members who defected with Rimi was re-elected.

Political analysts say the NNPP’s response reflects deeper anxieties about the sustainability of party loyalty in Nigeria’s fluid political environment, where defections by sitting governors often trigger realignments ahead of election cycles.

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Kano, one of Nigeria’s most politically significant states by population and voter turnout, has historically demonstrated strong attachment to political movements rather than individuals, particularly those perceived as embodying populist or reformist ideals.

The NNPP urged its supporters in Kano to remain calm and law-abiding, cautioning against any actions that could heighten political tensions or trigger unrest.

“We call on our supporters and the good people of Kano State to remain steadfast, peaceful and focused,” the statement said. “Political history shows that acts of disloyalty are ultimately judged by the electorate, not by short-term political manoeuvres.”

Despite the setback, the party expressed confidence that its political base in Kano remains intact and resilient, arguing that voter allegiance is rooted in principles rather than transient political alliances.

The defection of Governor Yusuf adds to a growing pattern of high-profile political realignments ahead of Nigeria’s next general election cycle, as governors and lawmakers recalibrate their positions within an increasingly competitive political landscape.

For the NNPP, the episode represents both a test of its organisational strength and a defining moment in its attempt to entrench itself as a durable national political force beyond its recent electoral gains.

Whether Yusuf’s move reshapes Kano’s political dynamics or reinforces voter resistance to elite defections, analysts say, will likely be determined not in party statements but at the ballot box.