The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) recorded mass defection on Tuesday, as most strong support groups of its former presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, decamped to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Naijaonpoint reports that the three Kwankwasiyya groups led by their leaders and executive members announced their resignation when they paid a solidarity visit to the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, at the National Assembly, in Abuja.
The first group of decampees was led by Alhaji Abdullahi Sani Kwami, a former vice chairman of Gwarzo local government area, Kano State.
Kwami, famously known as Dollar, led many NNPP leaders, including grassroots party executive members and women leaders to the APC.
In the same vein, a group of former student leaders under the leadership of Comrade Mohammed Nafiu Danlami, dumped their red caps, the symbol of the Kwankwsiyya movement, to embrace the APC, citing the Kwankwsiyya leader’s anti-masses policies and dictatorial leadership style as the reason for dumping the NNPP.
Also, another youth mobilizer of the NNPP/Kwankwsiyya in Getso, Gwarzo LGA, Abba Kafi, led his followers to the APC. Kafi said Jibrin’s pro-people interventions and projects attracted them.
While welcoming the groups, Senator Jibrin congratulated them for “leaving a mushroom political party known only in a few Kano Central Senatorial District wards to the APC.”
The Deputy Senate President said NNPP was fast fading the state. He added that all key players in the NNPP would soon decamp to the ruling APC.
“As it is now, the NNPP is fastly fading away in Kano Central, where it is only known in a few wards. The party is unknown in Kano North, and in Kano South, the key players of the party are on their way to the APC.
“Congratulations on leaving a mushroom political party for a national political party that is known globally, where your freedom is guaranteed, and you are as free as the air,” he said.
The APC chieftain claimed that NNPP was noted for undemocratic principles. He added that it was under the control of one man who dictates for every other person.
“As the decampees lamented, it is common knowledge that in NNPP, everything revolves around and is determined by one person against the democratic ethos that gives everyone the right to aspire for any position.
“For the youth leaders, I pledged to mentor them. They are this country’s future. We know the importance of good mentorship in positively shaping citizens’ lives.
“They are young, educated, and a great asset to our beloved country. They don’t belong there. They belong here, where they have free space to be what they want to be in life.
“They have been freed and liberated from the bondage of the Mushroom political party. You are welcome onboard,” he added.