Former Kano State Governor and leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, don advise his supporters wey dey face pressure to defect join another political movement to cooperate for now and sign any document dem ask dem to sign.
Kwankwaso talk this one on Tuesday for Kano while addressing some of his supporters in Hausa, according to short video wey him media aide, Saifullahi Hassan, post online.
He describe the movement wey his supporters dey pressured to join as the Gandujiyya movement, linked to former APC National Chairman and ex-Kano governor, Abdullahi Ganduje
. Though he repeatedly mention Gandujiyya, many observers believe say the pressure na to force NNPP members join the All Progressives Congress (APC), alongside current Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf.
Kwankwaso say e don receive reports say several NNPP members wey dey hold elective and appointive offices for the state dey face serious pressure, including demands to sign documents to show agreement to defect.
According to am, some of these supporters don dey suffer emotionally because of the situation.
“Plenty of our supporters wey get political appointments and House of Assembly members don contact me in distress,” Kwankwaso talk in Hausa. “Some no dey sleep well, some don even end up for hospital, while others dey show serious emotional stress.”
He say after consulting with close associates, dem agree say make affected supporters sign the documents if dem ask dem, just to reduce tension and protect their well-being.
“We agree say anybody wey dem ask to sign such documents should do am, just to avoid victimisation,” he add.
Kwankwaso point out say all these pressures dey happen even when full political activities for the 2027 general elections never properly start for the state.
The development come amid serious internal crisis within the NNPP, the party wey bring Governor Abba Yusuf into office. The party don dey battle with internal divisions and defections in recent times.
Political history show say Kwankwaso, Ganduje and Yusuf were once close allies. Ganduje serve as deputy governor under Kwankwaso before later becoming governor and eventually joining the APC, where he rose to become national chairman before stepping down last year.
The 2023 Kano governorship election was largely seen as a straight contest between Kwankwaso’s Kwankwasiyya movement under NNPP and Ganduje’s Gandujiyya movement under APC.
Reports say Governor Yusuf dey plan to defect to the APC alongside several state and federal lawmakers, as well as other NNPP members in Kano.
However, Kwankwaso don make am clear say he no go defect to APC or any other political party unless dem agree to give am presidential ticket for the 2027 election.
