Former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State has said Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf should not be accused of betrayal over speculations surrounding his possible defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
There has been growing tension within the NNPP and Kwankwasiyya camp since reports of the governor’s defection move to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) broke.
In an interview with an online platform, DCL Hausa, Shekarau argued that political realignments are personal decisions guided by circumstances and consultations.
He faulted the recent comment of Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso that Governor Yusuf should relinquish his mandate before defecting from the NNPP.
According to Shekarau, such a position ignores political precedents set by Kwankwaso himself, who defected with his mandate while serving as governor.
“I listened to my brother, Kwankwaso’s remarks. To me, Kwankwaso has either forgotten what happened in the past or he thought people have forgotten,” Shekarau said.
He recalled that Kwankwaso moved from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during his tenure as governor without relinquishing the governorship position.
“When he was in PDP, he also left with the governorship seat to APC. Why didn’t he drop it for PDP? The way he took PDP’s seat to APC is likely the same way Abba will take the NNPP seat to APC,” he said.
Shekarau added that if such action is now being described as offensive, then the precedent was already established by Kwankwaso.
The former governor also revisited events surrounding the formation of the NNPP in Kano, revealing that disagreements over power-sharing arrangements contributed to his eventual exit from the party.
He said after he and Kwankwaso left the APC for the NNPP, several meetings were held in Abuja and Kano to agree on how elective positions and appointments would be shared among stakeholders.
Shekarau disclosed that a committee was agreed upon to work out the sharing formula, with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf appointed as chairman because he was to take the governorship ticket.
“Abba spent about three months without delivering the assignment. Suddenly, a list came out and there was no single person from our side except me,” he said.
According to him, Kwankwaso openly queried the development in his presence, but the situation was not resolved, prompting Shekarau and his supporters to form a 30-man committee which eventually recommended leaving the NNPP.
“I rejected the arrangement because I could not take a senatorial ticket alone while my people got nothing,” he added.
Shekarau maintained that political decisions, including defection, should not automatically be framed as betrayal, especially when leaders consult their followers and act in what they believe to be their collective interest.
“In life, one chooses for himself. If you have tangible reasons and the people you are with are okay with it, that is all,” he said.
He stressed that Governor Yusuf should be allowed to make his choice without being demonised, noting that Kwankwaso himself had defected multiple times — from PDP to APC, back to PDP, and later to NNPP.
“If Abba has his own reasons and those around him agree, I don’t see any betrayal here,” Shekarau said.
