The national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has dismissed speculations that he plans to defect to another political party.
Speaking during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, Kwankwaso said the NNPP remained strong in Kano and other states, stressing that the rumours were false.
“But let me take this opportunity to tell you that we have our party, and we are comfortable. We are happy. We are ready to do whatever it takes because we are not in a hurry,” he stated.
The former Kano State governor emphasised that any political negotiation ahead of the 2027 general elections would be a collective decision of the NNPP family, not an individual choice. He urged members to ignore the hype surrounding defections in other parties, describing such moves as the actions of inexperienced politicians.
Recalling how he lost his re-election bid as governor in 2003 due to the influence of the late President Muhammadu Buhari but returned to power eight years later, Kwankwaso said the experience was a lesson in patience and resilience.
Also speaking, the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Ajuji Ahmed, described the NNPP as the “beautiful bride of Nigerian politics,” calling on citizens to register for their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State, represented by his deputy, Aminu Gwarzo, said despite alleged plots against the NNPP, the party was growing stronger under Kwankwaso’s leadership. He insisted that the NNPP had won two recent by-elections in Kano but was denied victory, assuring members that the party would reclaim its mandate.
The NNPP’s 2023 vice presidential candidate, Bishop Isaac Idahosa, also expressed confidence in the party’s readiness for 2027, noting that Kwankwaso had given the party “focused direction.”
Highlights of the NEC meeting included the appointment of caretaker committees for Kogi, Gombe, Taraba, and Jigawa States, as well as the extension of the Lagos State chairman’s tenure. The meeting was attended by NEC-elected political officers and an INEC observer team.
