Gov Yusuf Can Defect Without Quitting Office, Shekarau Tells Kwankwaso
Former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau has dismissed claims that Governor Abba Yusuf’s rumoured defection from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) would amount to a betrayal of the party’s national leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Shekarau made the remarks while reacting to reports that Yusuf may join the APC without Kwankwaso’s endorsement.
Speaking in an interview with online platform DCL Hausa, the former governor said such a move should not be interpreted as disloyalty to Kwankwaso, who is also a former governor of the state.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain argued that Kwankwaso lacks the moral authority to demand that Yusuf vacate his seat before defecting from the NNPP.
He recalled that Kwankwaso himself defected from the PDP to the APC in 2013 while serving as Kano governor, without relinquishing the governorship.
Shekarau said he was surprised by calls from members of the Kwankwasiyya movement insisting that Yusuf must step down before any defection.
“When he was governor under PDP, he decamped to APC with the governorship seat. Why didn’t he return it to PDP?” Shekarau asked.
“The same way he took PDP’s mandate to APC is likely how Abba will take NNPP’s to APC. If this is now a crime, it was your boss, Kwankwaso, who started it.”
He added that Kwankwaso had defected several times, moving from PDP to APC, back to PDP, and later to NNPP, each time after consulting his supporters.
According to Shekarau, if Yusuf also has reasons for defecting and carries his supporters along, it should not be described as betrayal.
Shekarau also faulted Kwankwaso’s public insistence on securing a presidential or vice-presidential ticket before any future defection.
He advised the NNPP leader to pursue such negotiations privately with party leaders rather than making public demands.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
