The Kano State House of Assembly has endorsed the proposed defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), citing leadership disputes and ongoing court cases that lawmakers say could threaten his mandate.
Addressing journalists, the Assembly’s Majority Leader, Lawan Hussaini, said the NNPP is engulfed in factional crises and litigations that have created uncertainty over its legitimacy and future electoral nominations. He warned that remaining in the party posed serious legal risks for the governor and other elected officials.
“There is an existing court judgement recognising a particular faction of the NNPP,” Hussaini said. “We cannot afford to stay and risk a repeat of what happened in Zamfara State.” He said lawmakers were therefore backing calls for Yusuf and the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to move to a more stable political platform, including the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Hussaini disclosed that consultations were ongoing with both Yusuf and Kwankwaso to reach a consensus on what he described as a “strategic and timely” exit from the party. He cautioned that unresolved court cases could lead to a judicial ruling invalidating NNPP candidates’ nominations, even after winning elections.
Lawmakers drew parallels with Zamfara State in 2019, where internal party disputes led the Supreme Court to void the APC’s victories and award offices to opposition candidates, despite the party winning at the polls.
Meanwhile, Kwankwaso has issued a warning to members defecting or planning to defect from the Kwankwasiyya movement, insisting they must account for the support invested in them. Speaking to supporters, he alleged that defections were often driven by inducements and cautioned against abandoning the movement for short-term gains.
Kwankwaso urged youths and loyalists not to be swayed by perceived political victories, arguing that many past defectors later regretted their decisions. He warned that betrayal, he said, carries lasting personal and political consequences.
In a related development, the NNPP national leadership loyal to Kwankwaso rejected a reported Kano High Court order reversing the dissolution of its state, local government and ward executives. The party described the order as an abuse of court process, insisting it had not been served with any court papers.
NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, said the party’s National Working Committee acted in line with its constitution and maintained that internal party decisions are non-justiciable, adding that the dissolution of the Kano executives remains in force.
