- Kwankwasiyya factions in Kano have reacted sharply as Kwankwaso’s defection to NDC sparks fresh political realignment tensions.
- Supporters and critics traded accusations over loyalty, ideology, and claims of political opportunism within the movement.
- An APC-leaning faction predicted an internal crisis in the NDC, while citing Kwankwaso’s repeated party switches and control struggles.
Kano, Kano state – A faction of the Kwankwasiyya movement that defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) following Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has launched a blistering attack on their former leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, over his latest defection to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The APC-leaning faction broke ranks with Kwankwaso amid the ongoing political realignment in Kano state. However, some of the factions have taken it to social media, mocking the movement’s founder as a political nomad whose frequent party-hopping has exposed the internal contradictions of the Kwankwasiyya ideology.
“We warned that the movement was becoming a vehicle for one man’s ambition rather than a genuine struggle for the masses,” said Alhaji Musa Lawan, a former Kwankwasiyya loyalist who now serves as a local government party exco in the APC.
“Now, Kwankwaso has abandoned the ADC just weeks after joining it. How many parties will he take them through? The Kwankwasiyya of 2011 is dead,” he added. Findings by Legit.ng suggest that the APC faction’s ridicule comes as Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC on Sunday, May 3, alongside former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, following a Supreme Court ruling that threw the African Democratic Congress (ADC) into fresh legal turmoil.
Engr. Kwankwaso confirmed the move via his official Facebook page, citing “external legal traps” that could have disqualified the opposition from the 2027 ballot.
Faction, loyalists react to defection. However, some of the splinter APC groups in Kano dismissed the explanation, alleging that Kwankwaso’s real motive is to secure an unchallenged presidential ticket.
“He told us the NNPP was the vehicle for liberation. Then the ADC. Now the NDC. We are tired. Governor Abba saw this coming. That is why we left. A leader without loyalty to a platform cannot build a movement,” said Hon. Abba Saleh, a former grassroots coordinator under the Kwankwasiyya camp.
The faction further predicted that Kwankwaso’s entry into the NDC would spark an internal crisis within the party, citing reports of brewing tensions over control of the party’s structure. Meanwhile, hardcore Kwankwasiyya faithful who remain loyal to the former governor insist that the movement is bigger than any party.
In response, Aliyu Abubakar, one of the coordinators of the Obi-Kwankwaso Support Group, commented.
“Our loyalty is to Jagora (Kwankwaso) and the ideals of free education, empowerment, and mass mobilisation.”“We will follow him to any party because it is not about APC, ADC, or NDC. It is about helping his dream to salvage Nigeria,” he added. Abubakar argued that the coalition with Peter Obi under the NDC offers the best chance to defeat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.