The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has declared its full support for Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State amid his ongoing face-off with the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Chairman, Dr Agbo Major, the NNPP said Yusuf, as its sole governor and leader in Kano State, deserved the party’s backing to succeed in governance.
Major said that while Kwankwaso played a role in Yusuf’s emergence as governor, he should not be allowed to distract the governor with what he described as politics driven by personal interests.
“Kwankwaso may have been instrumental in nominating Yusuf, but as governor, he must be allowed to excel without unnecessary distractions,” the statement said.
The party stressed that Kano State remained strategic to the NNPP ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning against actions capable of undermining the party’s political gains in the state.
Major noted that Kwankwaso, who was expelled from the party for alleged anti-party activities, should not interfere with governance in Kano State or attempt to influence the governor’s political decisions.
He described as ironic Kwankwaso’s claims of betrayal, recalling that he allegedly betrayed the party’s founder, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, and later attempted to hijack the party after the 2023 elections following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kwankwasiyya Movement.
According to the NNPP chairman, the series of litigations initiated by Kwankwaso after the elections contributed to mass defections of party members in Kano State and weakened the party’s structure.
“We will not sit back and watch Kwankwaso continue to undermine the Kano governor through utterances and blackmail,” Major said.
He urged Kwankwaso to take a cue from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which he said supports President Bola Tinubu to govern without undue interference.
Major added that the escalation of internal litigations led to Kwankwaso’s loss of influence within the Kwankwasiyya Movement and the NNPP, noting that the party lost electoral ground and missed some elections due to the actions attributed to him.
On reports of a possible defection by Governor Yusuf to the APC, the NNPP said such considerations were understandable under the circumstances but maintained that its preference was for the governor to remain in the party.
“While the governor’s desire to decamp may appear reasonable, the position of the NNPP is that Yusuf should stay, take responsibility as leader of the party, and reposition it for greater opportunities,” the statement said.