The National Legal Adviser of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Magaji Mato (SAN), has stirred fresh controversy in Kano politics, declaring that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf did not personally win the mandate that brought him to office, but rode on the popularity and ideology of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Mato made the assertion on Wednesday while speaking on ARISE Television’s Morning Show, amid the ongoing debate over Yusuf’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his continued association with the Kwankwasiyya Movement.
According to the senior advocate, the Kano governor and some politicians who defected alongside him may be struggling with guilt over abandoning the movement that propelled them into political relevance.
Yusuf and other defectors have continued to wear the symbolic red cap, the trademark of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, while insisting they remain loyal to the ideology despite operating on a different political platform.
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Reacting to this, Mato described such posture as ideologically inconsistent, arguing that it is impossible to claim allegiance to Kwankwasiyya while belonging to a party with a directly opposing philosophy.
“Wearing the red cap, everybody knows that it is the signature of the personality of Kwankwaso and Kwankwasiyya,” Mato said.
“So if you say you are still wearing the red cap and you are still a Kwankwasiyya and are in another party that promotes a different and direct opposite of the ideology of Kwankwasiyya, then you have yourself to answer that question.”
He stressed that the red cap represents more than mere symbolism.
“It’s not just about the red cap, it is about the ideology that the red cap signifies. You cannot be a Kwankwaso follower and then be on another platform that promotes a contrary ideology. It’s not possible,” he said.
Mato suggested that the continued attachment to the Kwankwasiyya identity by defectors could be due to an inability to detach from the roots of their political success.
READ ALSO: Defection Saga: Kano Govt Issues Stern Warning Over Attacks On Kwankwaso
“Maybe their consciences are haunting them, and they are finding it hard to sever themselves from the very roots that brought them to existence,” he added.
In a particularly striking remark, the NNPP legal adviser insisted that Kwankwaso, not Yusuf, was the real force behind the governor’s victory.
“I can authoritatively tell you that it wasn’t Governor Abba that was voted into power. It was Kwankwaso,” Mato declared.
“And I’m sure even him will testify to these facts.”
The comments are expected to further heighten political tension in Kano State, as debates continue over loyalty, ideology, and the future of the Kwankwasiyya Movement following Yusuf’s defection to the ruling APC.