Buba Galadima, Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party’s (NNPP) Board of Trustees, has claimed that Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf abandoned his political godfather, Rabiu Kwankwaso, long before publicly defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to Galadima, Yusuf severed ties with Kwankwaso barely three months after assuming office, describing the move as a historic betrayal of the political movement that brought him to power.
“Three months into his tenure, he abandoned Kwankwaso, but publicly, he still treated him like a king.
“What happens behind closed doors is different,” the NNPP chieftain said.
Galadima dismissed suggestions that Yusuf’s defection was in the interest of Kano residents, insisting it was driven solely by personal ambition.
“His own personal interest—personal, personal, personal. Not Kano people. Not peace in Kano,” he said.
He argued that the defection would have been viewed differently if Yusuf had joined a party other than the APC.
“Had Governor Yusuf moved from NNPP to another platform other than APC, I could have said he moved well, but in this case, it is only a matter of survival,” Galadima said.
The NNPP official described the defection as emotionally painful, recalling the sacrifices made to secure Yusuf’s victory.
“There is nothing under the sun we did not do for Abba Kabir Yusuf to prevail.
“For three days, Kwankwaso and I did not sleep. We travelled, we struggled, we put everything on the line,” he said.
Galadima also credited former President Muhammadu Buhari and the courts for affirming Yusuf’s governorship after protracted legal battles.
He accused Yusuf of abandoning the principles that sustained him politically, suggesting fear of future electoral loss motivated his defection.
“He believed that even if he won again, APC would still take it, so why not join them?” Galadima said.
Rejecting claims that Yusuf had freed himself from Kwankwaso’s influence, Galadima argued the governor was merely a beneficiary of the party.
“I don’t think he was ever NNPP. He was only a beneficiary of the NNPP,” he said.
He added that Yusuf has lost grassroots support, noting that the NNPP deliberately stayed silent until the governor announced his defection.
“Today, we have the sympathy of the people of Kano,” Galadima said, asserting that the party will survive despite losing its only governor.
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