The leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has distanced itself from reports suggesting that the party plans to merge or align with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that such moves are solely the personal decision of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and his Kwankwasiyya Movement.
The party’s National Secretary, Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday, made the clarification in Lagos on Monday while addressing journalists on the state of affairs within the NNPP. His comments followed Kwankwaso’s weekend announcement that he and his supporters were ready to join the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State and the NNPP’s 2023 presidential candidate, had declared that his political movement would no longer allow itself to be used to win elections and later abandoned. But his statement has now drawn sharp reactions from the party’s leadership, who insist he no longer represents them.
According to Oginni, Kwankwaso’s pronouncement only confirms what the NNPP has maintained since 2023 — that he and his loyalists ceased to be members of the party after their expulsion for anti-party activities. “By that declaration, Kwankwaso has finally admitted that he and his movement are not part of the NNPP,” the secretary said firmly.
He added that the party now feels a sense of relief following the development. “Our party will now rest from their resistance after they were expelled for anti-party activities,” Oginni noted, describing the former presidential candidate’s exit as “a cleansing process that will allow the NNPP to rebuild stronger.”
The party chieftain emphasized that the NNPP has no animosity toward the APC or any political entity but stressed that any alliance or merger must emanate from collective decision-making and not from individual ambition. “The NNPP has nothing against the ruling party,” he said. “If at any point before the 2027 elections we decide to enter into an alliance, it will be a decision reached by the entire membership — not a single man.”
Recalling the turbulent post-election period, Oginni accused Kwankwaso of causing instability within the NNPP after the 2023 general elections through what he described as “selfish scheming to hijack the party’s structure.” He stated that the crisis escalated after the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the party and the Kwankwasiyya Movement expired.
“Our MoU with Kwankwasiyya ended after the 2023 presidential election,” he revealed. “Instead of disengaging peacefully, they attempted to take over the party. That was the root of the crisis. We can’t wait to see them officially in another party.”
The NNPP secretary did not mince words about Kwankwaso’s current political weight, saying the former Kano strongman’s relevance has diminished considerably since his fallout with the NNPP. “Kwankwaso is being overrated,” Oginni declared. “His political value has dropped sharply after betraying the NNPP, the very platform that offered him a free ticket to pursue his ambition.”
He further claimed that many members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement have already deserted the former governor, with some joining the APC even before him. “It’s on record that many of his key allies in the movement left him long ago,” he said. “What’s left of Kwankwasiyya today is only a shadow of what it used to be.”
Oginni also cautioned the APC and other political actors against treating Kwankwaso’s move as a merger involving the NNPP. “Nigerians must be careful in negotiating with Kwankwaso under the guise of the NNPP,” he warned. “Any discussion or agreement must be strictly on individual terms because he and his followers remain expelled from our party.”
He accused the former NNPP presidential flagbearer of exploiting the party’s platform for personal ambition and leaving it in turmoil. “Kwankwaso used the NNPP as a stepping stone and then turned against the house that sheltered him,” Oginni said. “But now, the NNPP is determined to reclaim its dignity and direction.”
Beyond the Kwankwaso issue, the NNPP secretary lamented what he described as undue delay by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in updating the party’s leadership record. He said despite a court-ordered convention that produced the Dr. Agbo Major–led executive, INEC had yet to reflect the new leadership on its website.
“We are concerned that INEC is dragging its feet on uploading the details of our new executive,” Oginni said. “The court has affirmed the Agbo Major–led leadership, and we expect the commission to comply accordingly.”
Oginni concluded by assuring party members nationwide that the NNPP is back on course and focused on repositioning for stronger performance in the coming elections. “We have put the crisis behind us,” he declared. “The NNPP is rebuilding, reorganizing, and preparing to play a decisive role in 2027.”
With the dust now settling on Kwankwaso’s departure, the NNPP says it is ready to reclaim its identity, restore internal harmony, and reassert itself as a credible alternative voice in Nigeria’s political landscape.
