A growing sense of unease has emerged within the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano following the decision of Senator Kawu Sumaila to invite key opposition figures to his personal events while excluding his party’s leadership.
The senator, who represents Kano South in the National Assembly, extended invitations to All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, sparking speculation about his political allegiance.
Sumaila fraternises with political rivals
Sumaila, a former APC member who switched to the NNPP ahead of the 2023 elections due to internal disputes, recently hosted both leaders at the wedding ceremonies of his children in Sumaila town, Kano State.
Jibrin, leading a delegation of lawmakers to the event, confirmed the attendance of Ganduje, stating:
“Today, I led the Senate delegation to the wedding ceremony of Senator Sulaiman Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila’s and Alhaji Abdulmanaf Yunusa Sarina’s children. The occasion was graced by the National Chairman of our great party, the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. May Allah bless their union.”
Further fueling controversy, the senator also welcomed both Jibrin and Ganduje to the first convocation ceremony of Al-Istiqama University, a private institution he reportedly founded in Sumaila Local Government Area.
The absence of Kano state Governor Abba Yusuf and NNPP leader Rabiu Kwankwaso from these high-profile gatherings has led to heated discussions among party loyalists.
Many have questioned why Sumaila chose to associate with opposition figures while distancing himself from his own party’s leadership.
Sources indicate that Sumaila and other NNPP lawmakers from Kano South had previously clashed with Governor Yusuf over the reinstatement of deposed Emir Lamido Sanusi and the repeal of the State Emirate Council Law 2019.
Their opposition to dissolving the four emirates created by former Governor Ganduje and removing the five emirs reportedly created a rift between them and the state government.
Amid growing speculation about his political future, Sumaila has yet to respond to inquiries regarding a potential defection to the APC.
If he chooses to switch parties, he will join a growing list of lawmakers who have abandoned opposition parties for the ruling party.
The NNPP, currently Nigeria’s fourth-largest political party, faces a precarious position as Kano remains its stronghold.
The party’s performance in the last presidential election saw Kwankwaso finish a distant fourth, securing victory only in Kano State.
NNPP house of reps member defects to APC
Galambi was elected as a Reps member under the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 election.
