Governor Yusuf’s Exit From NNPP Not For Self-Interest, Says Party Official

By Aza Abba, Abuja

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), led by Dr Boniface Aniebonam, has asserted that Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State left the Kwankwasiya Movement and the party due to Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s intentions of subjugation, rather than for selfish reasons.

The party claimed that the true betrayer in the crisis is Kwankwaso, who has betrayed the trust of NNPP founder Aniebonam rather than Yusuf. All attempts made by Yusuf, as the leader of the NNPP, to reconcile were met with arrogance and greed, NNPP said.

This statement comes in response to comments made by Elder Buba Galadima regarding Yusuf’s defection.

In a statement issued by its national vice chairman for the Northwest, Alhaji Sani Danmasani, NNPP remarked, “We urge the families and associates of Kwankwaso and Galadima to intervene before they succumb to despair.

“A critical analysis of Galadima’s condition during his appearance on Arise Television suggests that he may be facing serious emotional distress.

“Yusuf’s transition to the APC is evidently impacting both Galadima and Kwankwaso, with the bitterness and pain clearly reflected in their speeches.

“Their distress is so significant that it could lead to depression if urgent action is not taken. It is likely that these prominent figures are experiencing sleepless nights.”

The party highlighted that what stood out in Galadima’s remarks during the session on Arise TV was his account of travelling by road from Enugu Airport to Umuawulu in Anambra, the hometown of NNPP founder Aniebonam.

“Galadima stated that he arrived in Anambra at 2 a.m. to meet Aniebonam in order to secure a political platform for Kwankwaso and others ahead of the 2023 general elections.

“It is ironic that Yusuf, who is a primary beneficiary of this perilous journey to Umuawulu, is the one accused of betraying the NNPP family by joining their adversary, former Kano State governor and APC stalwart Ganduje.

“Galadima and Kwankwaso, who are lamenting betrayal, were the same individuals who benefited without cost from the NNPP platform to contest in the 2023 elections.

“They are the very people who betrayed Aniebonam while striving to hijack the party he founded in 2001. They continue to attempt to seize control of the NNPP structure without a shred of conscience, yet they label Yusuf as a traitor.

“One begins to question why Kwankwaso and Buba Galadima are lamenting and disturbing the peace of society as if they are unaware that divine justice operates differently,” he said.

The party concluded that Yusuf’s decision was an act of self-defence, intended to protect himself from modern slavery and unwarranted interference by Kwankwaso in the governance of Kano State.

Rather than continuing to lament Yusuf’s departure, the party suggested that Kwankwaso and his faction should seek divine guidance and ask forgiveness from those they have betrayed. It noted that Kwankwaso’s influence in Kano politics has waned and will not affect Yusuf’s re-election in 2027.