The Senator representing Kano Central District, Rufai Sani Hanga, has described the decision of Governor Abba Yusuf to dump the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a suicide mission.
The lawmaker disclosed that he warned Governor Yusuf against the defection.
Speaking during an interview with Trust TV on Sunday, Hanga said the Governor’s defection would still end in defeat at the polls.
The lawmaker added that most of the people, including political appointees defecting alongside the Governor, would still dump him, as their hearts remain with the NNPP.
“When I heard about it, I went to advise him not to embark on this suicide mission, but unfortunately, he was not ready to listen, and I honestly don’t know what has gone wrong.
“Most of them will make a U-turn, because their minds are still with us, and they have no place where they have gone or they will be going,” said Hanga.
The Kano lawmaker added that Governor Yusuf would face challenges in the new party because it is unfamiliar ground, and most of the defectors with political ambitions would eventually be forced back to the NNPP, as they may not get the tickets to contest in their new party.
“There is no automatic ticket,” he said, referencing the position of the party’s national leadership. “Anyone who wants to contest must go through the primaries, and I doubt if he can win any. If he tries, they will defeat him hands down.”
Senator Hanga further described the Governor’s defection as an “unimaginable betrayal,” which has costly future implications, stressing that Yusuf benefited from the mentorship of Rabiu Kwankwaso and his political coverage as the National Leader of the NNPP.
“For him to now abandon the same leader and move to a party that antagonised us and treated us callously is truly unfortunate, and NNPP would closely observe how the governor navigates his new political path, because to defect in this circumstances would ultimately prove costly,” he added.
