Ex-Kano Governor Shekarau dumps NNPP, may return to APC

Former Kano Governor Senator Ibrahim Shekarau on Monday officially dumped the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

Shekarau is the senatorial candidate of the NNPP in the 2023 general election but he moved out of the party because his followers were denied forms to also pursue their political ambitions.

“I am done with NNPP,” he told a crowd of supporters at the Kano Foundation office along BUK road on Monday.

Though Shekarau did not mention the party he intends to move to, some All Progressives Congress (APC) members on Monday jubilated Shekarau, who represents Kano Central in the Senate on the ruling party’s ticket, is set to rejoin the party.

“Shekarau is scheduled to meet with the APC presidential candidate, Senator Ahmad Bola Tunubu, who wants him to return to APC, where he jumped ship to NNPP because he was denied second term ticket,” our source said.

Shekarau on Monday accused the NNPP’s founder, former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, of “betraying and humiliating” him.

Speaking on what transpired between him and Kwankwaso during his brief stay in NNPP, Shekarau stated he was given a form to contest senatorial election, without absorbing his teeming supporters.

He said on May 5, 2022, long before he joined Kwankwaso in NNPP: “I personally met him at his country home and discussed extensively my decisions to follow him to his new party and he expressed deep happiness.

“And on May 11, 2022, I still met with Kwankwaso because since our last meeting we were not able to meet, and I reminded him of a proposal I submitted to him during our last meeting.

“The proposal was the list of my supporters who were seeking different political offices, and when I talked to Kwankwaso about it he said he was aware of it and definitely something would be done

“Similarly, on May 16, 2022, Kwankwaso came to my house at about 9pm and we still discussed extensively the same issues. He even called five people including Abba Kabir, Kawu Sumaila, Alhassan Rirum and two others and presented them to me as those to make the lists of contestants.

“During the meeting which led to my decamping, Kwankwaso came with my Senatorial form alone and sneaked it to me telling me that I was the first to receive it.

“Then I asked him about the forms for my supporters, and he said it would be done.

“Since then Kwankwaso has kept deceiving me. Too much later, only for him to say we are late for my supporters to be on the list and there was nothing he could do.

“With all these and many more lies from Kwankwaso, I have no place in NNPP. This is because my party politics always goes with my supporters and any attempt to throw them away and separate them from me would be vehemently rejected,” he said.