A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Magaji Mato, has said the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) made every possible effort to prevent the defection of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf.
Mato stated this on Wednesday while responding to questions during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show.
According to him, the party acted within the limits of its authority and influence to discourage the governor from leaving.
“You can only prevent that which you have power to do,” Mato said. “The NNPP has done all it could within its powers and within the possibilities available to it to ensure that this defection does not take place, including personal discussions and advice from people who love and respect the governor. But that is as much as the NNPP can do.”
He noted that the final decision ultimately rested with Governor Yusuf, stressing that the governor acted based on his conscience and the counsel of advisers he trusts.
“The governor has his conscience to guide him. He has his advisers that he listens to, and eventually, this is the decision he arrived at,” he added.
Mato, however, dismissed suggestions that the governor’s defection would weaken the NNPP, insisting that the party remains a formidable political platform in Kano State and beyond.
“With all confidence, NNPP remains a stronghold and a viable platform for the people of Kano and elsewhere,” he said, recalling that the party was relatively obscure before the 2023 general elections.
He attributed the party’s rise to national prominence to the influence of key personalities who, according to him, transformed NNPP from political obscurity into a party that won elections at various levels.
“It’s not really about the party alone, but about the personalities running its affairs,” Mato said.
He concluded that the effectiveness of the NNPP as a political platform would not be diminished by Governor Yusuf’s defection.
