Former Kano State Governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has said Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf should not be accused of betrayal over his alleged defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Shekarau stated this during an interview with an online platform, DCL Hausa.
According to him, political realignments are personal decisions guided by circumstances and consultations.
Shekarau said, “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.
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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.
He accused Kwankwaso of betraying him, when they two leaders agreed to work in the past under the banner of the NNPP.
“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 what they believe to be their collective 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.
He stressed that Governor Yusuf should be allowed to make his choice without being demonised, noting that Kwankwaso himself had defected multiple times — from PDP to APC, back to PDP, and later to NNPP.
“If Abba has his own reasons and those around him agree, I don’t see any betrayal here,” Shekarau said.
