Kwankwaso Blasts Abba Yusuf’s Defection, Declares January 23 As World Betrayal Day
The leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has strongly criticised Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf’s decision to quit the party, branding the move as a painful betrayal of the confidence reposed in him by party leaders and supporters. NNPP’s national leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, while addressing loyalists at his Miller Road residence in Kano, announced that January 23 would now be recognised within the movement as “World Betrayal Day.” He explained that the idea originated from social media reactions to the governor’s resignation, many of which described the development as an act of betrayal. “None caught my attention more than one who posted, suggesting that we declare January 23 annually as World Betrayal Day. “Therefore, as the leader and grand patron of this movement, I hereby declare that I fully support the declaration.” Kwankwaso said the date would be observed with special programmes to serve as a constant reminder of what he described as a defining moment in the history of the movement. Governor Yusuf’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, had earlier confirmed the governor’s resignation from the NNPP in a statement issued on Friday. In its reaction, the NNPP, through a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary Ladipo Johnson, said the party received the news with deep sadness and disappointment, rejecting Yusuf’s claim that his departure was caused by an irredeemable internal crisis. “We deeply regret that Governor Abba, a man entrusted by the people of Kano State on the strength of his decades of unwavering loyalty and dedicated service to the Kwankwasiyya Movement, has now chosen to betray that sacred trust. By this action, he risks returning the state to the very forces that have long opposed its progress and the aspirations of its people. “It is noteworthy that our party, the NNPP, had recently conducted congresses for its leadership from the ward to the national convention, held on December 20, 2025, at which the governor himself was present, and INEC had supervised. “The party had also participated and won in two supplementary elections for Bagwai/Shanono and Ghari/Tsanyawa constituency, respectively held in August 2025, about three months ago. The assertion he made of an irredeemable crisis in the party is therefore baseless and an afterthought.” The party also recalled a similar episode in Kano’s political history, noting that defections had previously been punished by the electorate. “Yet, the electorate delivered a resounding verdict: In the 1983 gubernatorial election, Rimi was humiliatingly defeated by Mallam Aliyu Sabo Bakin Zuwo of the PRP, finishing second. Even more telling, of the 120 state assembly members who joined Rimi’s defection, only one was re-elected, an outcome that should serve as a sobering lesson to any politician contemplating the path of disloyalty. “While this development is deeply disturbing and painful for all who have invested in the Kwankwasiyya vision, we urge the 1,019,602 people who cast their votes for his election, as well as the good people of Kano State and Nigeria, to remain calm, patient, and restrained. Let us not descend into acrimony or division. “History has consistently shown that those who trade loyalty for expediency, and honour for deceit, rarely escape the judgment of the people. The truth endures, and the loyalty of Kano’s masses to principled leadership will ultimately prevail.”
