Kwankwaso’s APC Move is Personal, Not NNPP’s, Says Party

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has moved to sharply distance itself from the political manoeuvres of its former presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, stating that his recent declaration of intent to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is a personal affair that does not involve the party.

The clarification was offered by the party’s National Secretary, Dr Ogini Olaposi, in a statement from Lagos on Monday.

This response came after Senator Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, announced on Saturday that he and his supporters, known as the Kwankwasiya Movement, were prepared to join the APC. He did, however, issue a caution that his political movement would not allow itself to be used merely to win elections only to be abandoned afterwards.

Dr Olaposi’s statement framed Kwankwaso’s announcement as a form of admission. He stated that by this declaration, the senator has finally confirmed that he and his movement are not part of the NNPP. “At last, we have been vindicated,” Olaposi said. “All negotiations by any party with Kwankwaso should be done in his individual capacity.” He expressed a sense of relief, noting, “Our party will now rest from the Movement’s resistance after they were expelled for anti-party activities.”

The party secretary was keen to clarify the NNPP’s own position regarding the ruling party, separating it entirely from Kwankwaso’s actions. “The NNPP has nothing against the ruling party, and if at any point ahead of the 2027 general elections we think we should enter into alliance with APC or any other, it will be decided by all members,” he explained. “For now, we are putting our house in order ahead of elections nationwide after the crisis and litigations that Kwankwaso and his followers brought to the NNPP.”

According to Olaposi, the formal agreement between the Kwankwasiya Movement and the NNPP concluded naturally after the 2023 presidential election. The subsequent crisis, he alleged, arose because the movement attempted to take control of the party rather than depart peacefully. “We can’t wait to see them at another party,” he remarked.

The statement also sought to downplay Kwankwaso’s current political influence. Olaposi claimed that the senator no longer possesses a viable political platform, pointing out that many of his followers in Kano had already defected to the APC. “Kwankwaso has no political party. His political value dipped after betraying the NNPP, which gave him a free platform for his presidential ambition, and when the strategic members of the movement joined the ruling party,” he said.

Olaposi concluded with a firm warning to other political actors. “Nigerians who negotiate with Kwankwaso and his group should know that it is his right as a citizen, but not as a member of the NNPP. Any negotiation in the name of NNPP is null and void because they remain expelled from our party.”

The NNPP chieftain also mentioned ongoing administrative challenges, lamenting the delay by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in recognising the party’s new executive, which was established through a court-ordered convention that produced the Dr Agbo Major-led leadership.