The Digest:
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has labeled Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf's defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a profound betrayal. NNPP National Spokesperson Ladipo Johnson stated that party leader Rabiu Kwankwaso, the grassroots Kwankwasiyya movement, and the people of Kano all feel betrayed. Johnson argued that Yusuf, who was elected on the NNPP's platform "from scratch" with Kwankwaso's crucial backing, betrayed the public trust by returning power to the APC without consulting the electorate that supported him through protracted legal battles.
Key Points:
- The party frames the defection not just as a political realignment but as a moral breach of trust with the voters and the movement that propelled him to power.
- It highlights the emotional and symbolic weight of the split, given Yusuf's former status as Kwankwaso's political protégé within the influential Kwankwasiyya movement.
- The narrative counters the governor's "development" justification, presenting the move as a selfish act that disregards the popular mandate.
- It aims to galvanize the party's remaining grassroots base in Kano by casting the defection as an abandonment of the struggle against the previous APC administration.
- The strong language seeks to control the public narrative, painting the NNPP as the wronged party to maintain its relevance and moral standing in the state.
Sources: Channels Television
