The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has declared that Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, does not require the endorsement or approval of former presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or any other political party.
The party also insisted that the governor equally does not need Kwankwaso’s consent to remain in the NNPP, stressing that Yusuf’s political decisions are protected by the Constitution.
The NNPP’s position followed claims by Kwankwaso’s spokesman, Mr Ladipo Johnson, that his principal had not endorsed Governor Yusuf’s reported defection to the APC. Johnson, in a statement on Sunday night, described reports suggesting Kwankwaso had reversed his stance to support Yusuf’s defection as false and misleading.
He accused those planning to leave the NNPP of deliberately misinforming the public about Kwankwaso’s position.
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However, reacting on Monday in Lagos, the NNPP, through its National Secretary, Mr Ogini Olaposi, said Governor Yusuf, as the party’s sole sitting governor and leader, does not need Kwankwaso’s approval to either stay in or leave the party.
“While we advise the governor to remain in the NNPP, we also understand that it is within his constitutional rights to join any party of his choice due to escalating legal battles,” Olaposi said.
He added that the NNPP harbours no hostility towards any political party, including the APC, and therefore cannot compel its governor to remain against his will.
“If the governor has made up his mind to leave the NNPP, no dictatorial tendencies or blackmail can stop him. Yusuf has been doing well as governor of Kano State, and we will not become a stumbling block by insisting he remains in the party against his will,” he stated.
Olaposi further urged Kwankwaso and members of the Kwankwasiya Movement to stop distracting the governor and allow him to continue his governance duties in Kano State.
READ ALSO: APC Switch: Gov. Yusuf’s Secret Visit To Woo Kwankwaso Fails, Jets To Meet Tinubu
“What Kwankwaso has failed to tell Nigerians is whether his stand against the governor’s alleged defection is rooted in godfatherism or personal grievances against the ruling party,” he said.
“Whatever misgivings he has against the APC should remain personal and should not be forced on others who wish to join the party.”
Responding to claims attributed to Johnson that Kwankwaso described the planned defection by Governor Yusuf and some NNPP members as a “cold betrayal of trust,” the party dismissed the allegation as ironic.
“Kwankwaso and his group now know how betrayal feels, considering his attempt to hijack a party that freely gave him a platform to contest the 2023 presidential election,” the NNPP said.
The party reaffirmed its support for Governor Yusuf and any decision he may take, while still encouraging him to reconsider and remain in the NNPP.
“Kwankwaso remains expelled from the NNPP for the good of the party and its members,” Olaposi concluded.
(NAN)