Barau Slams Kano’s NNPP as ‘Mushroom Party’ Following Defections to APC

Senator Barau Jibrin, the Deputy President of the Senate, has criticized the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano State, calling it a “mushroom political party” that is rapidly losing its relevance.

Barau made the remarks while welcoming key grassroots mobilizers, including members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

On his verified X account, Senator Jibrin announced that the NNPP’s influence in Kano State, particularly in the Kano Central senatorial district, was diminishing. He pointed out that political figures in both Kano North and South districts had already deserted the party.

He highlighted the defections from three major blocs within the NNPP, including one led by Alhaji Abdullahi Sani Kwami, a former vice chairman of Gwarzo Local Government Area. Kwami, along with hundreds of grassroots party executives and women leaders, joined the APC at the office of the Deputy Senate President in the National Assembly.

In a similar move, a group of former student leaders, led by Comrade Mohammed Nafiu Danlami, abandoned the Kwankwasiyya Movement, symbolized by their red caps, in favor of the APC. They cited the “anti-masses policies” and “dictatorial leadership style” of the Kwankwasiyya leader as their reasons for leaving the NNPP.

Senator Jibrin also mentioned the defection of Abba Kafi Governor, a prominent youth mobilizer of the NNPP/Kwankwasiyya in Getso, Gwarzo LGA, who led his followers to the APC. Governor praised the Deputy Senate President for his pro-people interventions and development projects as a key factor in his decision to switch parties.

Welcoming the defectors, Senator Barau commended their decision, declaring that the NNPP was becoming irrelevant in Kano Central, known only in a few wards. He emphasized that the party had no presence in Kano North and that many of its key members in Kano South were already transitioning to the APC.

“The NNPP is quickly fading away in Kano Central. In Kano North, it’s virtually non-existent. And in Kano South, the party’s major figures are heading to the APC. Congratulations on leaving a mushroom political party for a national political party with a global reputation, where your freedom is guaranteed, and you can be as free as the air,” Barau said.

The Deputy Senate President also criticized the leadership structure of the NNPP, pointing out that it is centralized around one individual, undermining democratic principles that allow everyone the right to aspire for positions.

He further pledged to mentor the defectors, particularly the youth leaders. “They are the future of this country. They are young, educated, and an asset to our nation. They don’t belong in a party where their aspirations are stifled. They belong here, in a party where they are free to achieve their potential,” Barau concluded, emphasizing that they had been liberated from the constraints of what he called a “mushroom political party.”