A faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has declared that it would be “greatly relieved” if Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, defects to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing him as a “political burden.”
The stance was made public in a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos by the faction’s National Secretary, Oginni Olaposi, amid swirling rumours of a possible defection deal between Kwankwaso and the ruling APC, following the recent resignation of APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Grassroot Parrot reports that Ganduje, a longtime political rival of Kwankwaso in Kano State, stepped down from his position on Friday, citing health reasons. However, political insiders allege the move is part of a broader strategy to pave the way for Kwankwaso’s entry into the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In the statement, Olaposi said the NNPP has nothing to lose if Kwankwaso joins the APC, pointing to unresolved internal disputes stemming from Kwankwaso’s expulsion over alleged anti-party activities.
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“Kwankwaso still insists he is a member of our party even after his expulsion,” Olaposi said. “He tried to hijack the NNPP and caused the party to go through avoidable litigation.”
He recalled how the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently reinstated the NNPP’s original logo after a legal tussle, which was triggered by Kwankwaso’s attempt to substitute it with the Kwankwasiyya Movement symbol—a move widely seen as an effort to rebrand the party around his personal political ideology.
While commenting on speculations that Ganduje’s resignation is tied to negotiations involving Kwankwaso, Olaposi said, “We have reasons to doubt the ongoing propaganda that Ganduje left APC to enable an alleged negotiated arrangement with Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 presidential election.”
READ ALSO: Revealed: How Tinubu-Kwankwaso Pact Forced Ganduje To Step Down
“It is on record that Ganduje once said that APC is always ready to pardon and accommodate defectors, even those who left its fold.” He stated
He continued, “We would be delighted if the APC takes over the burden of managing Kwankwaso’s political ambition. He betrayed our trust by trying to hijack the party from its founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, who facilitated his free ticket for the 2023 presidential election.”
Olaposi maintained that the NNPP is now focused on rebuilding its internal structures and reconnecting with its original ideals, free from the “Kwankwaso distraction.”