KANO — The Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aliyu Sani Madaki, has launched a scathing verbal assault on Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, describing the Kwankwasiyya leader’s proclamation of a “World Betrayal Day” as a desperate attempt to mask his own leadership failures following the exit of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
The political friction erupted following the seismic defection of Governor Yusuf from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday, January 23, 2026. In a reactive address to supporters on Saturday, Kwankwaso labeled the Governor’s exit a “cold betrayal of sacred trust” and declared January 23 an annual day to commemorate political treachery.
Responding to the declaration on Sunday, January 25, Hon. Madaki—who has himself recently discarded the iconic red cap of the Kwankwasiyya movement—characterized Kwankwaso’s remarks as the “last kicks of a dying political horse.” Madaki argued that the real betrayal in Kano’s political history lies with those who attempted to turn the state’s executive office into a personal fiefdom through overbearing godfatherism.
“There is nothing like ‘World Betrayal Day’ except in the imagination of those who have lost their grip on power,” Madaki stated. He challenged the Senator to reflect on why his most loyal disciples, including Governor Yusuf, 21 state lawmakers, and eight House of Representatives members, chose to exit the movement simultaneously. Madaki asserted that the mass exodus was not an act of betrayal, but a “liberation of the state” from the suffocating influence of a single individual.
The lawmaker further noted that Kwankwaso’s attempt to institutionalize a day of grievance only exposes the undemocratic nature of the Kwankwasiyya ideology. He maintained that the decision of Governor Yusuf to align with the federal government was a strategic move for the development of Kano State, rather than a personal slight against a former mentor.
The exchange underscores the total collapse of the NNPP’s dominance in Kano. Following the mass defection on Friday, the APC has moved to consolidate its power in the state, reportedly reserving membership card “No. 001” for Governor Yusuf. As of Sunday afternoon, political tension remains high in the ancient city, with Madaki’s vocal rebuttal signaling a definitive break in the decades-long relationship between the federal lawmaker and the Kwankwasiyya leader.
