The National Working Committee (NWC) of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has criticised Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf over his resignation from the party, describing his exit as a betrayal of the political trust placed in him by supporters of the Kwankwasiyya movement.
The party, in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, dismissed Yusuf’s claim that the NNPP was suffering an “irredeemable crisis,” insisting the explanation was an excuse offered after he had already decided to leave.
Governor Yusuf’s resignation was announced on Friday by his spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, who said the governor had formally communicated his withdrawal in a letter addressed to the NNPP chairperson of Diso-Chiranchi Ward, in Gwale Local Government Area.
Bature said the governor’s resignation takes effect from 23 January 2026, adding that Yusuf is expected to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I write with a deep sense of gratitude to formally notify the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) of my decision to resign my membership of the party, with effect from Friday, 23rd January 2026,” the statement quoted Yusuf as saying.
Reacting to the development, the NNPP said it received Governor Yusuf’s resignation with “profound anguish,” warning that his exit could drag Kano back to political interests the party claimed had consistently worked against the state’s progress over the years.
The party argued that Yusuf’s emergence as governor was largely built on his years of loyalty to the Kwankwasiyya movement, stressing that leaving the NNPP at this point amounted to turning his back on the same structure and supporters who stood by him at the polls. “We deeply regret that Governor Abba has now chosen to betray that sacred trust,” the party stated.
NNPP also rejected Yusuf’s claim that the party was facing an irredeemable internal crisis, describing the narrative as an excuse raised after the decision to leave had already been made. The party said its recent activities clearly showed an organisation that remained functional and properly coordinated.
The NNPP insisted it had remained stable and operational, pointing to recent internal and electoral milestones as proof that the party was not in any form of collapse, contrary to Governor Yusuf’s claims.
According to the party, its leadership structures had recently been renewed through congresses held across the country, beginning from the ward level and culminating in a national convention held on December 20, 2025. It noted that Governor Yusuf was present at the event, adding that the entire process was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) — a development the party said affirmed the credibility and legitimacy of its internal organisation.
The NNPP also drew attention to its showing at the polls in Kano, citing its victories in two supplementary elections in Bagwai/Shanono and Ghari/Tsanyawa constituencies, conducted in August 2025. The party argued that those wins undermined any suggestion that it was struggling with an irredeemable crisis or losing political footing in the state.
“The assertion he made of an irredeemable crisis in the party is therefore baseless and an afterthought,” the party declared.
Beyond the immediate political fallout, the NNPP linked Yusuf’s move to a familiar pattern in Kano politics, recalling how former governor Abubakar Rimi defected in the early 1980s from the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) to the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP), taking with him a wide network of elected officials.
The party said the people of Kano ultimately rejected that wave of defection, noting that Rimi lost the 1983 governorship election to Mallam Aliyu Sabo Bakin Zuwo, while the bulk of lawmakers who followed him reportedly failed to secure re-election.
The party insisted that Kano’s electorate had historically shown it does not reward what it called deceit and political disloyalty.
“History has consistently shown that those who trade loyalty for expediency, and honour for deceit, rarely escape the judgment of the people,” the party said.