Rt. Hon. Kabiru Rurum, the lawmaker representing Rano/Kibiya/Bunkure Federal Constituency, has declared his alignment with Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), distancing himself from the faction led by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Rurum, a former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, announced his stance on Sunday, recognizing the NNPP under Aniebonam’s leadership, symbolized by a fruit logo, as the authentic party and dismissing Kwankwaso’s faction, which uses a book logo.
READ ALSO: Governor Yusuf Leaves Kano As NNPP Crisis Deepens
Rurum urged Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to exercise his authority independently and avoid undue influence from Kwankwaso. “My loyalty remains with Governor Yusuf,” Rurum affirmed, expressing confidence in the governor’s ability to govern effectively.
Addressing speculations about a potential defection, Rurum clarified that he remains a loyal member of the NNPP under Aniebonam’s leadership, condemning Kwankwaso for allegedly attempting to “hijack” the party for personal interests. “Dr. Boniface provided Kwankwaso with a platform, and it is wrong to take the party from him and treat him poorly,” Rurum stated.
READ ALSO: LG Elections: NNPP Sweeps All Kano Chairmanship, Councillorship Seats
This development follows a recent court ruling by the Uzuakoli Division of the High Court in Abia State. On November 1, 2024, Justice C.U. Okoroafor ordered that the NNPP be placed under the control of its Board of Trustees, chaired by Dr. Aniebonam.
The ruling came after three NNPP members in Abia filed a suit seeking resolution to the party’s leadership crisis.
In a related shift, the member representing Dala Federal Constituency has also announced his departure from Kwankwasiyya, the political movement associated with Kwankwaso, and urged his supporters to abandon the movement’s symbolic red cap.
These defections mark significant changes within the NNPP as the party navigates an internal leadership dispute.