The Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, has dismissed claims that Governor Abba Yusuf’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) amounts to betrayal, insisting that the internal crisis within the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) left the governor with no viable political future in the party.
Speaking in an interview, Waiya said the NNPP has been engulfed in deep divisions since disagreements emerged over the party’s logo. According to him, the original logo a basket of fruits was controversially changed to a book without adequate consultation, leading to court cases. He noted that at least two courts ruled against the adoption of the book logo, further complicating the party’s legal standing.
Waiya explained that the crisis fractured the NNPP into factions, including those loyal to the party’s founder, Boniface Aniebonam, and the Kwankwasiyya group led by Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. He added that the situation deteriorated to the point where one faction reportedly suspended Governor Yusuf, despite being the only governor produced by the party.
“How do you expect a sitting governor to remain in a party with this level of confusion?” Waiya asked, arguing that the NNPP risks losing legal recognition in the near future. He said the uncertainty had earlier prompted prominent figures such as Ali Madaki and Alhassan Rurum to defect.
Addressing claims that the deputy governor has not followed Yusuf to the APC, Waiya said the governor and his deputy were elected on a joint ticket and that it would be honourable for the deputy to step down if he chose not to align with his principal.
On arguments that the mandate belongs to the NNPP, the commissioner maintained that while the party platform was used, it was ultimately the people of Kano State who voted for Yusuf. “The governor’s loyalty is first to the people, not to a party torn apart by internal battles,” he said.
Waiya also dismissed claims of betrayal by Kwankwaso, noting that defections are common in Nigerian politics. He said Yusuf’s move to the APC has reduced political tension in Kano, improved security cooperation and strengthened the state’s access to federal projects, including approval of the long-awaited metropolitan rail service.
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