Former Governor of Kano State and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has criticised elected politicians who defect to rival parties after securing votes from the masses, describing the move as a betrayal and a political sin.
Speaking in Kano while welcoming a fresh batch of defectors from Takai Local Government Area of Kano South to the NNPP at his Miller Road residence, Kwankwaso reacted to the recent wave of defections from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We all know the history of this movement. Unfortunately, in 2015, some individuals joined us with dishonest intentions.
“They brought disunity and tried to destabilise the movement. But thank God, the movement did not derail,” he said.
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Reflecting on past electoral cycles, the former governor noted, “When the 2019 elections came, everyone saw what happened, and the most recent one also taught us valuable lessons.”
He stressed that the Kwankwasiyya movement was never built on financial incentives but on ideology and public interest.
“This movement is for the people. It is a movement that right-thinking individuals should reflect on deeply. It’s not about money.
“Even what happened in Kano South should be taken as a lesson. Some people collected spaghetti and N2,000 to elect someone.
“But in Kano, the poor stood firm. If it had been left to those selling their votes, the NNPP wouldn’t have won,” he stated.
Kwankwaso criticised politicians who, after benefiting from the trust and votes of the people, crossed over to opposition parties.
“This is the highest form of betrayal in a democratic setting. I don’t know of any greater political sin than when vulnerable people vote for you—rejecting deceivers and enemies of progress and you turn around to join those same enemies after winning.
“Had the people known, they wouldn’t have voted for you,” he said.
He cautioned political actors against undermining the Kwankwasiyya movement, describing it as a formidable force.
“Fighting the Kwankwasiyya movement is a grave mistake for any politician.
“One may not understand until he engages in that fight—and then he’ll realize how tough it is to battle a solid wall,” he warned.
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