Rabiu Kwankwaso, national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), says he would only consider leaving the party if he is offered the presidential or vice-presidential ticket for the 2027 general election.
Addressing supporters at his residence in Kano, Kwankwaso said his four decades in politics mean his followers across the country would only accept a defection that secures him one of the top two positions in the next election.
Kwankwaso said the All Progressives Congress (APC) had approached him to join the party but that he rejected the move due to a “lack of meaningful incentives”.
“We told them that we agree to go with you, but what will you give me? Appointments? How many? Which one among them will fit me, which I will accept? Which one will also fit the national chairman, since the national chairman and his executives are important people with values? They didn’t answer any of it,” Kwankwaso said.
“Some are saying it’s just a plan to have options one, two, three, etc. We brought those options then, but this time it’s a national issue, and Kano State must be united so we can win again in the next elections,” he added.
Speaking on Yusuf’s reported plan to defect to the APC, Kwankwaso said he was shocked by the development and noted that the governor neither consulted him nor explained his reasons.
The former NNPP presidential candidate in the 2023 election described Yusuf’s move as a “betrayal”.
“This is a lesson to all of us. We thought everyone had understood. We never expected betrayal,” he said.
“The most painful thing is that after everything we did to rescue Kano from Ganduje and the APC, you have now handed the governorship back to him free of charge,” he added.
Kwankwaso urged his supporters to respond calmly to the situation and to prevail on those involved to reconsider their actions.