Rabiu Kwankwaso, national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), says he has never been this let down politically.
On Monday, Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano and Kwankwaso’s ally, joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the NNPP.
During his resignation from the NNPP last Friday, the governor cited “deepening internal crises” and “prolonged leadership disputes” as reasons for his move.
In a video published by Saifullahi Hassan, his media aide, Kwankwaso told his supporters at his residence that it would have been better if Yusuf joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The NNPP national leader said the Kano governor handed the mandate of the NNPP to enemies.
Kwankwaso recalled the struggle they both went through when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the 2019 Kano governorship election inclusive.
“Injustice. In my entire life, I cannot remember where such a thing has ever been done before,” Kwankwaso said in Hausa.
“It would even be better if it was the ADC, something new, they (referring to Yusuf and loyalists) went to. Rather, they took it (mandate) away and handed over to enemies.
“Look at the struggle we went through in 2019, look at the election that became inconclusive, look at the courts.
“There’s an Igbo man named Pius Anyim, former senate president. When the issue started, he called me immediately and I asked for his whereabouts.
“He told me he’s in the house and I went there and met him. Before we even finished greetings, he asked me if the news he’s hearing is true or not? He held his head.
“I had forgotten that in 2019, I took him to the homes of all the supreme court judges in Nigeria to beg them. I and the governor met them in their villages and towns.”
2019 ELECTION SAGA
In 2019, INEC declared the March 9 Kano governorship election inconclusive with the margin between the top two candidates less than the cancelled votes.
Yusuf, then candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had polled 1,014,353 votes ahead of Abullahi Ganduje, then candidate of APC, who secured 953,522 votes, which left a margin of 26,655 votes.
A total of 100,873 votes were cancelled.
A supplementary election took place in the 28 affected Kano LGAs.
At the end of the supplementary election, Ganduje was declared winner after he polled 45,876 votes, while Kabir of the PDP got 10,239 votes.
The total results showed that Ganduje scored 1,033,695 votes, while Yusuf polled 1,024,713 votes.
In 2019, Yusuf and Kwankwaso were members of the PDP.
In January 2020, the supreme court dismissed the appeal filed by Yusuf and affirmed Ganduje’s victory.
In 2023, Yusuf was elected governor of Kano on the NNPP platform.
Kwankwaso and his political movement, Kwankwasiyya, played a significant role in Yusuf’s election.
