Ibrahim Shekarau says Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano State, can defect to another party without relinquishing his seat.
The former governor of Kano State made the remarks during an interview with DCL Hausa while reacting to speculations about Yusuf’s possible move to the All Progressives Congress (APC) without the backing of Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Shekarau said Yusuf’s reported plan should not be interpreted as a betrayal of Kwankwaso, insisting that such political decisions are neither new nor unusual in Kano politics.
The chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stated that Kwankwaso lacks the moral justification to demand that Yusuf vacate office before leaving the NNPP.
He recalled that Kwankwaso defected from the PDP to the APC in 2013 while serving as governor of Kano and did not vacate his seat.
Shekarau said he was surprised by calls from members of the Kwankwasiyya movement insisting that Yusuf must resign before any defection.
“When he was governor under PDP, he decamped to APC with the governorship seat. Why didn’t he return it to PDP?” Shekarau asked.
“The same way he took PDP’s mandate to APC is likely how Abba will take NNPP’s to APC. If this is now a crime, it was your boss, Kwankwaso, who started it.”
He further said Kwankwaso’s history of party switching weakens any claim of betrayal against Yusuf.
“Kwankwaso has defected multiple times — from PDP to APC, back to PDP, and then to NNPP. He always had his reasons and consulted his people. If Abba has his reasons, consults his people, and they agree, I won’t call it betrayal.”
Shekarau also criticised Kwankwaso’s public stance of demanding a presidential or vice-presidential ticket before any future defection.
He advised Kwankwaso to pursue such negotiations discreetly with party leaders rather than through public declarations.