The New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP) has blamed its presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for being the cause of the loss Kano governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf suffered at the State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
The party alleged that Kwankwaso sold out NNPP to the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) in order to negotiate for a ministerial slot in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
A three-man panel led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay, had on Wednesday, sacked Abba and declared the APC candidate, Nasir Gawuna, winner of the March 18 governorship poll.
Reacting, a Chieftain of NNPP in Southwest, Abass Akande Onilewura said the loss of the party in Kano corroborated the anti-party allegation raised against the presidential candidate.
In a statement on Thursday, Onilewura insisted that Kwankwaso did not follow due process in the selection of some of the governorship candidates for the party, which reportedly led to the filing of unpopular or unacceptable flagbearers.
He added; “This loss is a big one for us at NNPP and it only happened because of the selfishness of Kwankwaso who sold the party to the highest bidder.
“While we are still waiting for the Certified True Copy of the tribunal judgment, it is important for the world to know that this would not have happened if Kwankwaso had allowed due process and given the ticket to the most qualified candidate but his in-law.
“Our investigation also showed that the continuous engagement of Kwankwaso with APC at some point gave room for them to discover loopholes which were later used against the Kano governor to secure victory for the opposition.
“It is unfortunate that some of us sweat to get the party to where it is today, only for someone like Kwankwaso to come and make all our efforts a waste. We are happy that someone like that has been expelled from this great party.
“We also want to use the avenue to warn him to stay clear of NNPP, we don’t want a betrayal in our party and we would do anything humanly possible to secure our party from hijackers who are more concerned about personal gain.
“I will also urge our members across the country to remain calm because a new leadership has taken over the party and we would do everything to restore the glory of our party. NNPP will come out to become a strong voice and opposition that would stand for justice, equity, and good governance.”