Former Kano governor Ibrahim Shekarau has defended Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf's impending move to the All Progressives Congress, arguing that such realignments are normal in politics. He criticized accusations of betrayal against Yusuf by his mentor Rabiu Kwankwaso, pointing to Kwankwaso's own history of party switches. Shekarau insists Yusuf can take the NNPP mandate with him, just as Kwankwaso did in the past.
In an interview with DCL Hausa on Tuesday, monitored in Kano, Ibrahim Shekarau, a former Minister of Education and two-term governor of Kano State, dismissed criticisms of Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf's potential defection from the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Shekarau argued that alignment and realignment are essential parts of politics and that Yusuf is free to switch parties with or without his Kwankwasiyya supporters.
Shekarau specifically took issue with Kwankwaso's remarks urging Yusuf to relinquish the NNPP mandate upon defecting. He recalled Kwankwaso's 2013 defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC while serving as governor, without surrendering his seat. '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. 'Has he forgotten that he moved from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during his tenure as governor without dropping the governorship seat?'
He added, '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.' Shekarau noted that Kwankwaso has defected multiple times—from PDP to APC, back to PDP, and then to NNPP—setting a precedent that undermines claims of betrayal against Yusuf.
Shekarau also shared background on his own exit from the NNPP, citing unresolved power-sharing disputes after he and Kwankwaso joined from the APC. Meetings were held in Abuja and Kano to divide positions, with Yusuf chairing a committee that failed to deliver fairly after three months. A list emerged excluding Shekarau's allies except himself, leading to his rejection of a lone senatorial ticket and the formation of a 30-man committee that recommended departure. '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 recounted.
Shekarau emphasized that defections are not betrayal if leaders consult followers and act in their interest. 'In life, one chooses for himself. If you have tangible reasons and the people you are with are okay with it, that is all,' he said. 'If Abba has his own reasons and those around him agree, I don’t see any betrayal here.'
