 has hit back at Rabiu Kwankwaso for accusing members of the Kwankwassiya Movement, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), of betrayal, asserting that Kwankwaso himself is the true betrayer.){kind=link}
The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has hit back at Rabiu Kwankwaso for accusing members of the Kwankwassiya Movement, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), of betrayal, asserting that Kwankwaso himself is the true betrayer.
Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State and leader of the Kwankwassiya Movement, criticized the defection of key NNPP members from Kano to the APC, calling them traitors. His comments were made at his residence in Kano on Friday evening, during a visit from some of his Kwankwassiya supporters from Takai Local Government Area.
Among those who defected was Abdulrahman Kawu, the representative for Kano South in the National Assembly, along with other federal lawmakers from the state.
In a statement released on Monday, the National Chairman of NNPP, Agbo Major, stated that Kwankwaso no longer speaks for the party. He reminded the public that Kwankwaso had been expelled from the NNPP, along with his followers, led by Dr. Ahmed Ajuji.
Major also clarified that the Kwankwassiya Movement was not a registered political party but a group that joined the NNPP after the 2023 presidential election, where Kwankwaso was the party’s candidate. He expressed disbelief that Kwankwaso would accuse others of betrayal.
“The NNPP ended its relationship with Kwankwaso and the Kwankwassiya Movement after the 2023 elections,” Major explained. “As Nigerian citizens, they are free to choose and join any political party.”
He continued, “It is ironic that Kwankwaso, who betrayed the NNPP’s trust by attempting to take over the party, is now calling others betrayers. Nigerians have the constitutional right to belong to any political party, and Kwankwaso cannot prevent his former followers from joining the APC or any other party.”
Major further emphasized that Kwankwaso had lost control of the Kwankwassiya Movement when his supporters defected. He described this as a sign of the end of Kwankwaso’s political career.
“Kwankwaso’s political influence ended with his expulsion from the NNPP,” Major concluded. “The defection of his followers to the APC further proves that he has lost control of his movement, just as he failed in his attempt to take over the NNPP.”