The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has expressed disappointment over the decision of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as a betrayal of trust.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the NNPP’s National Spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson, said the defection deeply disappointed the party’s national leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and undermined the confidence of Kano voters who overwhelmingly supported the NNPP in the 2023 governorship election.
Johnson said the sense of betrayal extended beyond Kwankwaso, noting that residents of Kano State had voted massively for the NNPP after what they considered eight years of poor governance under the APC.
“Of course, he feels betrayed, but this goes beyond Senator Kwankwaso. The people of Kano turned out in large numbers to entrust the NNPP with power through Kwankwaso’s leadership,” Johnson said.
He recalled that the party contested the election without an established political structure in the state, yet secured victory through grassroots support.
“We had no councillors and no local government chairmen, yet the people voted for the NNPP from the ground up. They stood by Abba Kabir Yusuf through the tribunal, the Court of Appeal, and up to the Supreme Court,” he added.
Johnson argued that Yusuf’s defection, carried out without consulting the electorate, amounted to a disregard for the mandate freely given by the people.
According to him, returning power to the same party that voters rejected after eight years, without seeking public consent, represents a fundamental breach of trust.
