₦airaland Forum

Rabiu Kwankwaso, national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has denied endorsing the rumoured defection of Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

There are growing speculations that Yusuf is finalising his defection from the NNPP to the APC.

On Tuesday night, reports swirled that Kwankwaso — who had previously opposed talks of NNPP members, including Yusuf, defecting to the APC — has reversed his position and endorsed their move.

But in a statement, Saifullahi Hassan, media aide to the former governor of Kano, described the reports as false, saying Kwankwaso remains “fully committed to the ideals, vision, and principles of the party”.

“We wish to state unequivocally that this report is false, misleading, and entirely without factual basis,” the statement reads.

"Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf was elected Governor of Kano State on the platform of the NNPP and remains a member of the party, with an obligation to uphold the mandate freely given to him by the people.

“At no time did Senator Kwankwaso endorse, support, or express approval of any alleged move by Governor Yusuf to the APC. Any report suggesting otherwise is a deliberate misrepresentation of facts and should be treated with utmost scepticism.

“We therefore urge members of the public, party supporters, and the media to disregard this misinformation and rely only on verified and credible sources for accurate information.”

NEW NIGERIA PEOPLE'S PARTY (NNPP)

NATIONAL SECRETARIAT, ABUJA

Tuesday JANUARY 13, 2026

POLITICAL DESPERADOS SEEKING TO FRAUDULENTLY MISREPRESENT A CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS MESSAGE FROM SENATOR RABIU MUSA KWANKWASO...... NNPP

The NNPP has described the "breaking news" by Premium Times, that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in a sudden reversal of his well stated position on the issue of the defection of the Governor of Kano State from the NNPP to the APC, has endorsed the defection. This is as wicked a lie as it is clearly a shameful blatant falsehood by those who obviously have no moral compass and are completely devoid of any scruples.

In a statement issued this night in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, stated that it had become clear that those who are seeking to move from the party have "no self worth" if they feel that they have to misinform the public about Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso's position. Deliberately and mischievously twisting his words to fool the masses that he has endorsed their impending move is as pitifully childish as it can get.

"We would appreciate it if these people would simply move out of the party, if they choose to go. If you feel that you are going to greener pastures and have the support of the masses, then go. Do not attempt to fool the masses that you have the support or blessings of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso", the statement said.

Johnson concluded by stating that for the avoidance of doubt, the former Governor of Kano State has described the impending move by some of the members of the Kwankwasiyya and the NNPP, led by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, as a cold betrayal of trust and the mandate given to him and defended by the people of Kano State. He stated that the former Governor wants to diffuse the current political tension in the state and stated that those who are being arm twisted and forced to join the defection madness should feel free to go. By God's grace, the elections of 2027 would come and go, leaving those who chose the path of betrayal of trust with the verdict of the good people of Kano!

BAMOFIN LADIPO JOHNSON
NATIONAL PUBLICITY SECRETARY
(NNPP)

Wife Of Second Republic Ogun Governor Olabisi Onabanjo, Lucia Dies At 100

The family of the late former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, has announced the death of his wife and former First Lady of the state, Chief (Mrs) Lucia Onabowale Onabanjo.

She died at the age of 100.

In a brief statement released on Tuesday and made available to journalists, the family said it announced, “with deep regret but with gratitude to Almighty God, the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Chief (Mrs) Lucia Onabowale Onabanjo (1925–2026), who was called to glory on Monday, 11 January.”

The family thanked God for what it described as her “fulfilled life and legacy of love, strength and faith,” while praying for the repose of her soul.

Mrs Onabanjo was the wife of the late Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, the first civilian governor of Ogun State, who served during Nigeria’s Second Republic between October 1979 and December 1983.

Details of her funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

Her late husband, Chief Victor Olabisi Onabanjo (12 February 1927 – 14 April 1990), was a renowned Nigerian journalist and politician of Ijebu extraction.

Before venturing into politics, he built a notable career in journalism and was widely known for his forthright newspaper column, Aiyekooto, a Yoruba word meaning “parrot,” symbolising blunt truth-telling.

Born in Lagos in 1927, Onabanjo was educated at the Baptist Academy, Lagos, and later at Regent Street Polytechnic in the United Kingdom, where he studied journalism between 1950 and 1951.

He worked with several newspapers, including the Daily Service and Daily Express, where his Aiyekooto column ran between 1954 and 1962.

He entered politics under the influence of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and was elected chairman of the Ijebu Ode Local Government Area in 1977. In October 1979, he emerged as Ogun State governor on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

Widely regarded as unpretentious and plain-speaking, Onabanjo’s administration was considered a model of governance at the time.

His government established key institutions, including Ogun Television, which was commissioned on 13 May 1982, and Ogun State University, founded on 7 July 1982 and later renamed Olabisi Onabanjo University in his honour in 2001.

He also established the Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, which was shut down following the 1983 military takeover but later reopened after the return to democratic rule in 1999.

dododawa1:
Best decision



Best decision



Best decision