The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano State has appealed to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to remain in the party, warning that any defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) would amount to a betrayal of the mandate freely given to him by voters.
Speaking to journalists in Kano on Monday, the state chairman of the NNPP, Hashimu Dungurawa, said the party would not support any move by the governor to leave the platform on which he was elected.
Dungurawa cautioned that a defection to the APC would undermine the trust of Kano residents who voted for Yusuf on the NNPP ticket, stressing that the party was still making efforts to resolve internal disagreements.
“We have exhausted all avenues to ensure unity within the party, and we are still using every available channel to appeal to our members not to leave the NNPP,” he said.
He dismissed speculations linking the party’s national leader, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to the reported moves, insisting that Kwankwaso and the NNPP leadership were not behind any plan to defect.
“I want to make it categorically clear that our party and our national leader, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, have no hand in what is going on,” Dungurawa stated.
He also warned individuals allegedly attempting to create a rift between the governor and Kwankwaso to desist, describing such actions as destabilising and misleading.
The NNPP’s appeal followed reports of a late-night meeting between Governor Yusuf and two APC chieftains from Kano State — Alhaji Kabir Alhassan Rurum, a member representing Rano, Kibiya and Bunkure Federal Constituency, and Dr. Baffa Babba Dan’agundi, Director-General of the National Productivity Centre.
Political sources suggested that the meeting may be linked to speculation over a possible defection to the APC, as well as discussions around the choice of a deputy governor from Kano South Senatorial District, which has never produced a deputy governor in the state’s history.
The NNPP leadership reiterated its commitment to reconciliation, urging party members to remain focused on governance priorities, particularly agriculture and support for small businesses.
Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano
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