The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has condemned the resignation of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, describing his exit as a betrayal of the mandate entrusted to him by the people of the state.
In a statement on Friday, NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, said Yusuf was elected on the strength of his deep roots in the Kwankwasiyya Movement and the confidence of Kano voters, insisting that the governor’s defection amounted to a breach of that trust.
Johnson rejected Yusuf’s claim that an irredeemable crisis within the party forced his resignation, dismissing the explanation as unfounded and an afterthought.
“It is with profound anguish and disappointment that we received the news of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s resignation and defection,” the statement said, warning that the move could return Kano to political forces “long opposed to the state’s progress and the aspirations of its people.”
The NNPP spokesperson invoked history, recalling the early 1980s when former governor Abubakar Rimi defected from the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) to the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP) and was roundly rejected by voters in the 1983 elections.
Johnson noted that despite Rimi defecting alongside most elected officials in Kano, he lost to PRP’s Aliyu Zuwo, while only one of the 120 state assembly members who switched parties was re-elected.
While acknowledging the pain caused by Yusuf’s exit, the NNPP urged supporters and residents of Kano to remain calm and avoid actions that could spark division or unrest.
He added that history has shown that political disloyalty is ultimately judged by the electorate, expressing confidence in the enduring loyalty of Kano voters to principled leadership.
