The National Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Ogini Olaposi, has clarified that the reported move to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) is solely the decision of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and his Kwankwasiya Movement, not that of the NNPP.
Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State and the 2023 NNPP presidential candidate, had declared on Saturday that he and his loyalists were prepared to join the ruling APC. He, however, cautioned that his movement would not allow itself to be used for electoral gains and later abandoned.
Reacting in Lagos on Monday, Olaposi said Kwankwaso’s declaration confirmed that he and his movement were no longer part of the NNPP.
“At last, we have been vindicated. All negotiations with Kwankwaso should be done in his personal capacity. Our party will now rest from the Movement’s resistance after they were expelled for anti-party activities,” Olaposi stated.
He explained that the NNPP holds no grudges against the APC and may consider alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections, but such decisions would be taken collectively by its members.
NNPP, Kwankwasiya Split After 2023 Election
According to Olaposi, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Kwankwasiya Movement and the NNPP ended after the 2023 presidential election.
“The crisis began because, rather than leave peacefully, they attempted to hijack the party. We can’t wait to see them at another party,” he said.
Olaposi further argued that Kwankwaso no longer has a political base, stressing that many of his loyalists in Kano had long defected to the APC.
“Kwankwaso has no political party. His value dipped after betraying the NNPP, which gave him a free platform for his presidential ambition. Nigerians negotiating with Kwankwaso should know it is his right as a citizen, but not as a member of the NNPP. Any negotiation in our name is null and void because he and his group remain expelled,” Olaposi added.
The NNPP scribe also lamented delays by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in uploading the party’s new executive list following a court-ordered convention that produced the Dr. Agbo Major-led leadership.
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