The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) faction led by Agbo Major says Rabiu Kwankwaso, the party’s standard bearer in 2023, is free to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Following the resignation of Abdullahi Ganduje as the national chairman of the APC on Friday, reports linked his exit from the national working committee (NWEC) to a plan by Kwankwaso to join the ruling party.
Ganduje and Kwankwaso, once political allies, became bitter rivals.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Oginni Olaposi, the NNPP factional spokesperson, said it would be a good riddance if Kwakwaso exits the party.
He accused the former governor of Kano of “trying to hijack” the party.
“Kwankwaso still insists he is a member of our party even after his expulsion for alleged anti-party activities,” the statement reads.
“Kwankwaso did not only try to hijack the NNPP, but also made the party go through avoidable litigations.
“The NNPP logo that he changed to the Kwankwasiya Movement logo has just been changed to our logo by INEC, after years of controversy and litigations.
“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.
“It is on record that Ganduje once said that APC is always ready to pardon and accommodate defectors, even those who left its fold.
“We find it difficult to believe that Kwankwaso, who is still struggling to hijack the NNPP, is also negotiating to join the ruling party.
“Kwankwaso betrayed our trust in him by trying to hijack the party from its founder, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, who facilitated his free ticket for the 2023 presidential election.”
Since the 2023 elections, the NNPP has been mired in a leadership crisis, with Major and Ajuji Ahmed claiming the position of national chairman.
In 2023, Kwankwaso was suspended by the board of trustees (BoT) chaired by Aniebonam, the party’s founder. Major was then appointed as chairman.
Kwankwaso and Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, are aligned with the Ajuji-led leadership.
