The National Leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has dismissed speculations about his defection to another political party, affirming his commitment to the NNPP while expressing openness to dialogue and possible alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the party’s 9th National Executive Council meeting held on Thursday at the Bolingo Hotel, Abuja, the former Kano State governor emphasised that although the NNPP was ready to collaborate with other political actors, the party remained strong, well-regarded, and widely accepted by Nigerians.
The NNPP, through its National Publicity Secretary, Oladipo Johnson, had earlier clarified that the party was neither in alliance with the African Democratic Coalition nor aligned with President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Johnson further stressed that both Kwankwaso and Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, remain committed to the NNPP, dismissing any speculation about their loyalty to another party or candidate.
However, in a statement released on August 19, Johnson disclosed that the party’s National Executive Committee would meet on August 28 to determine its political direction ahead of 2027.
During the NEC meeting, Kwankwaso said that despite pressure to defect, he had been encouraged by the loyalty and support of NNPP members nationwide.
He noted that while the party was open to negotiations, any decisions on alliances or partnerships would be taken collectively.
He said, “We’ve very loyal and powerful leadership and have membership in Kwankwasiyya and NNPP. Anytime I sat down and listened to people, some would come and say, go to A, some will say go to B or C, and others would say stay where you are, and so on and so forth. But the fact remains that there is nobody in Kwankwasiyya today that I know, and even in the NNPP, who is not loyal to the party and the leadership. People are loyal to the party, as previously said by other speakers.
“We are open, we’re ready to talk to anybody who will want us to work together for 2027. But the fact remains that this party is not my party, it’s not the chairman’s party, it’s not the party for those of us in this hall, it’s for Nigerians. Everybody is free to come in. We are working so hard and we are happy with our members wherever they are in this country for their commitment and loyalty.
“And I want to assure you that the leadership will not fail. We’ll be fair and we’ll continue to ensure that there’s fairness for everybody, and I believe that more and more people are coming. If there is anything, if there is any request, it will be collective and not only for the negotiators but for the entire members of this family, the NNPP.
“But rest assured that this leadership that you see will never fail you. We’ll negotiate anywhere we are going if we have to go somewhere. But for now, we are in NNPP. We are moving towards 2027 and we are so happy with ourselves, especially with the experiences that we had in the past.”
Kwankwaso pledged that the NNPP would continue to grow, promising members timely updates on developments.
Boasting of his political pedigree, he said, “I’ve worked with few people over the years, starting with my days as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1992. We worked very hard with the leadership of Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, worked for (MKO) Abiola, who are of SDP stock. My house and that of (Bashir) Tofa of blessed memory is just within a short distance. We worked with leaders in our party and at that time, party was supreme.
“And we’ll continue to ensure that this our party is also supreme. I’m sure you from Kano know my house in Gwandu, and Bashir Tofa’s house in Gwandu. Abiola won in Kano in our polling unit, in our ward, in our local government, in the state, and in northern Nigeria. We are loyal to the party and since then we started building.
“Let me congratulate the chairman and the National Working Committee because I’m aware that they are getting a lot of commendations. Even recently, the Republican Institute rated our party as the best in Lagos. I’m also aware that while other parties are getting bad ratings from countries across the world, our party, the NNPP, is moving fine and remains very strong and powerful. Let me say that we’ll continue to move forward. If there is any information, we will quickly try and let you know about any progress on what to do and what not to do.”
In his remarks, the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Ajuji Ahmed, commended Kwankwaso’s leadership for positioning the NNPP as a strong political force. He further disclosed that Kwankwaso would once again be the party’s presidential candidate in 2027.
He said, “I want to pay a special tribute to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, our visionary leader, a former governor of the state, former Minister of Defence, former diplomat and former presidential candidate of our great party in 2023, and insha Allah, the next presidential candidate of our party in 2027.
“A man of indefatigable endeavour with stupendous political sagacity, Engineer Kwankwaso’s leadership has made NNPP stand out as the pillar of party politics in Nigeria. We acknowledge with gratitude the pivotal role he is playing in transforming the NNPP into a formidable political party in the country.”
