Former Kano State Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, has attacked Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement for labeling Governor Yusuf of Kano State as a “betrayer”
Recall that a move recently initiated by Governor Yusuf to join APC has continued to anger his alleged Godfather, Kwankwaso who has now tagged the decision a betrayal.
But reacting, Shekarau reminded Kwankwaso, that, “Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is only following your footsteps for defecting to the APC because you did same as Governor by dumping PDP to APC.”
Shekarau said, “Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf should not be accused of betrayal over his decisions, because, political realignments are personal decisions guided by circumstances and consultations.”
Speaking in a viral sound clip sent to his approved WhatsApp platform, he Insisted that Governor Yusuf has his fundamental rights to defects to any party of his choice.
According to Shekarau, Kwankwaso’s position ignores political precedents he personally set when he defected with his mandate while serving as governor.
“I listened to some of my brother Kwankwaso’s remarks. To me, Kwankwaso has either forgotten what happened in the past or he thought people have forgotten,” Shekarau said.
He recalled that Kwankwaso moved from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during his tenure as governor without dropping the governorship seat.
“When he was in PDP, he also left with the governorship seat to APC. Why didn’t he drop it for PDP? The way he took PDP’s seat to APC is likely the same way Abba will take the NNPP seat to APC,” he said.
Shekarau added that if such action is now being described as offensive, then the precedent was already established by Kwankwaso.
The former governor also revisited events surrounding the formation of the NNPP in Kano, revealing that disagreements over power-sharing arrangements contributed to his eventual exit from the party.
He said that after he and Kwankwaso left the APC for the NNPP, several meetings were held in Abuja and Kano to agree on how elective positions and appointments would be shared among stakeholders.
Shekarau disclosed that a committee was agreed upon to work out the sharing formula, with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf appointed as chairman because he was to take the governorship ticket.
“Abba spent about three months without delivering the assignment. Suddenly, a list came out and there was no single person from our side except me,” he said.
According to him, Kwankwaso openly queried the development in his presence, but the situation was not resolved, prompting Shekarau and his supporters to form a 30-man committee which eventually recommended leaving the NNPP.
“I rejected the arrangement because I could not take a senatorial ticket alone while my people got nothing,” he added.
Shekarau maintained that political decisions, including defection, should not automatically be framed as betrayal, especially when leaders consult their followers and act in line with what they believe to be their collective interest.
