Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf has denied having any form of rift between him and his political leader, Rafiu Kwankwaso.
NaijaOnPoint.com.ng, NOP recalls that the media was agog barely two days ago that the governor snubbed Kwankwaso’s 34 calls, this gave credence to the fact that things were falling apart.
In response to the rising tensions within the party, the NNPP’s state leadership recently suspended Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, Secretary to the State Government, and Muhammad Diggol, Commissioner of Transportation, accusing them of involvement in the “Abba Tsaya da Kafarka” campaign. Both officials have denied these allegations.
As support for this faction grows, other prominent members of the Kwankwasiyya movement, including House representatives Aliyu Sani Madakin Gini and Alhassan Rurum, have publicly distanced themselves from Kwankwaso, encouraging Yusuf to assert his independence. Governor Yusuf, however, stood firm in his loyalty.
“It’s as if people do not understand the role Kwankwaso has played. Where were these critics when he was laying the foundation for what we are doing now?” he questioned.
Yusuf also expressed frustration with media reports suggesting that he had ignored multiple calls from Kwankwaso. “They said Kwankwaso called me more than 30 times, and I refused to answer. Where did they get this from?” Yusuf asked. “If not for my respect for journalists, I would have taken the person who wrote that to court. But I know, and Kwankwaso knows, that it’s all lies. There is no rift.”
Finally, he appealed to his supporters to reject divisive slogans, urging respect and unity within the party. “As of today, I don’t want to hear ‘stand on your own’ in Kano State or anywhere in Nigeria,” he said. “We were raised to respect elders, not to insult them.”