Supporters and critics of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso have clashed sharply following his defection to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), with a faction of the Kwankwasiyya movement that had earlier joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) launching a blistering attack on their former leader.
The APC-leaning faction, which broke ranks with Kwankwaso amid political realignment in Kano state, accused him of being a political nomad whose frequent party-hopping has exposed internal contradictions within the Kwankwasiyya ideology. However, loyalists insisted they would follow Kwankwaso to any party, arguing that the movement's ideals transcend political platforms.
APC Faction Criticizes Kwankwaso's Move
Alhaji Musa Lawan, a former Kwankwasiyya loyalist who now serves as a local government party executive in the APC, said: "We warned that the movement was becoming a vehicle for one man's ambition rather than a genuine struggle for the masses. 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."
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. He confirmed the move via his official Facebook page, citing external legal traps that could have disqualified the opposition from the 2027 ballot.
Loyalists Defend Their Leader
Hardcore Kwankwasiyya faithful who remain loyal to the former governor insisted that the movement is bigger than any party. Aliyu Abubakar, a coordinator of the Obi-Kwankwaso Support Group, said: "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."
Abubakar argued that the coalition with Peter Obi under the NDC offers the best chance to defeat President Bola Tinubu in 2027. "Kwankwaso and Obi are joining forces. That is a nightmare for the APC. Those who ran to the APC are political opportunists who want government appointments. They never believed in the struggle," he boasted.
Internal Crisis Predicted in NDC
The APC-leaning faction 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. Hon. Abba Saleh, a former grassroots coordinator under the Kwankwasiyya camp, said: "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."
Another APC supporter, Lawan Abubakar Dorayi, alleged: "We are already seeing reports of parallel congresses and leadership fights in the NDC just hours after Kwankwaso arrived. The same thing happened in the NNPP, then the ADC. Now the NDC will tear itself apart because Kwankwaso wants to control everything. That is his pattern."
Loyalists Dismiss Criticism
Malam Bello Kofar Kudu, a staunch Kwankwasiyya supporter, dismissed the APC faction as irrelevant. "Let them mock. They followed Governor Abba, but Governor Abba himself is still practicing Kwankwasiyya in Kano. They left the ideology, not the party. We still have the red cap, and we still have the vision."
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC in Abuja after exiting the ADC, triggering fresh political debate. Their move has been overshadowed by claims of a legal challenge over the registration of the NDC, with an ADC chieftain alleging that the party's formation is being contested in court. Party stakeholders warned that the dispute could heighten instability within opposition politics.
