The National Working Committee of the New Nigeria Peoples Party has strongly criticised the resignation of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, describing his decision to leave the party as a betrayal of the mandate freely given to him by the people.
In a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, the NNPP rejected the governor’s claim that unresolved internal crises forced his exit, insisting that such assertions were unfounded and only raised after his departure.
Governor Yusuf officially resigned from the NNPP on Friday and is expected to pitch his political tent with the All Progressives Congress. His spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, confirmed the development, stating that the governor communicated his decision through a resignation letter addressed to the NNPP chairperson of Diso-Chiranchi Ward in Gwale Local Government Area.
According to Bature, the governor wrote: “I write with a deep sense of gratitude to formally notify the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) of my decision to resign my membership of the party, with effect from Friday, 23rd January 2026.”
Responding, the NNPP said the announcement was received with “deep pain and disappointment,” noting that Yusuf’s rise to office was anchored on the Kwankwasiyya political movement and the confidence of the Kano electorate.
“We deeply regret that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who benefited from years of loyalty to the Kwankwasiyya Movement, has chosen this path, which amounts to a betrayal of the trust reposed in him by the people of Kano State,” the party stated.
The party warned that Yusuf’s defection could undermine political stability and reverse developmental progress in the state, arguing that it risks returning Kano to political forces previously rejected by voters.
Dismissing claims of internal instability, the NNPP pointed to its recent internal processes and electoral successes.
“Our party successfully conducted congresses from the ward level up to the national convention on 20 December 2025, an exercise supervised by INEC and attended by the governor himself,” the statement said.
It also referenced victories recorded in two supplementary legislative elections in August 2025, stressing that “the claim of an irredeemable crisis within the party is clearly without merit.”
Drawing lessons from history, the NNPP recalled the defection of former Kano governor, Abubakar Rimi, in the early 1980s, which it said ultimately ended in electoral rejection.
“History has shown that political disloyalty often attracts the verdict of the people,” the party added, noting that most lawmakers who defected alongside Rimi failed to return to office.
Despite its sharp criticism, the party appealed for calm among its supporters and the general public.
“We urge the over one million voters who supported Governor Yusuf’s election, as well as the people of Kano State and Nigerians at large, to remain peaceful and restrained,” the statement said.
The NNPP concluded by expressing confidence that the people of Kano would continue to support principled leadership and remain committed to the ideals that brought about political change in the state.
What you should know
The NNPP’s reaction to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s resignation underscores the deep political rift triggered by his expected defection to the APC.
The party insists that Yusuf’s mandate was built on the Kwankwasiyya movement and collective party structures, not individual ambition. By rejecting claims of internal crisis, the NNPP is seeking to reassure supporters of its organisational stability and electoral strength.
The controversy also reflects Kano’s history of politically consequential defections, with the party warning that such moves often attract voter backlash. How this shift reshapes Kano’s political landscape ahead of future elections remains a key question.
