The leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has accused the Kano State Government of coercing state officials and elected local government chairmen into signing documents indicating their defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the Kano State Government swiftly dismissed the allegation, insisting that participation in any defection plan is strictly voluntary.
Kwankwaso, in a post on his verified social media handles, described reports reaching him as “deeply disturbing,” alleging that officials were being compelled to sign documents either aligning them with the Gandujiyya or Kwankwasiyya political camps.
“I have received several reports—some good and some very terrible—indicating that the Kano State Government is compelling state officials and elected local government chairmen to sign documents either in support of Gandujiyya or Kwankwasiyya,” Kwankwaso stated.
He described the development as unfortunate and warned that such actions could undermine democratic principles.
“Our supporters should not take this lightly. It is very disturbing that a government would go so low,” he said.
Despite his criticism, Kwankwaso advised affected local government chairmen and councillors to comply if necessary to avoid victimisation.
“Since it has reached this level, those being forced to sign the document may go ahead and do so in order not to be victimised by the government,” he added.
He also thanked members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement for what he described as their steadfastness and loyalty.
Reacting to the allegation, the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Waiya, dismissed Kwankwaso’s claims, saying no one was being compelled to defect.
Speaking to The PUNCH, Waiya said, “What exactly happened is that our party is asking everybody—not only government officials—who are willingly ready to join APC to do so. But nobody is being compelled, contrary to what has been reported.”
The allegation comes amid sustained speculation that Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, may defect from the NNPP to the APC ahead of the next general elections.
Yusuf, who was elected in 2023 on the NNPP platform, is widely regarded as a political protégé of Kwankwaso, and the defection rumours are believed to have strained relations between both men.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has reaffirmed his loyalty to Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya Movement.
Sources told The PUNCH that Gwarzo, who returned from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night after performing the lesser Hajj, visited Kwankwaso at his Miller Road residence in Kano shortly after his arrival.
“One of the key reasons for the visit was to personally reaffirm the deputy governor’s loyalty and commitment to the party and its ideology,” a party source said.
Other senior party figures, including the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Yusuf Kofar Mata; the Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the Governor, Sunusi Surajo Kwankwaso; and the factional NNPP chairman in Kano State, Hashim Sulaiman Dungurawa, are also said to have pledged support for Kwankwaso.
A senior NNPP official said, “This is a clear message that key figures within the government and the party remain firmly with Kwankwaso despite the ongoing defection speculation.”