In a statement, the National Secretary of the NNPP, Dr. Ogini Olaposi, said Kwankwaso’s declaration to align with the ruling party was a personal decision and not that of the NNPP.
Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor and the NNPP’s 2023 presidential candidate, had announced that he and his supporters were ready to join the APC but warned that his movement would not allow itself to be used and later abandoned.
Olaposi stated that the declaration confirmed the NNPP’s position that Kwankwaso and his movement were no longer part of the party after being expelled for anti-party activities.
He emphasized that Kwankwaso no longer had a political platform, as his value declined after betraying the NNPP, which provided him a platform for his presidential ambition. Any negotiations with him should be in his personal capacity, not in the name of the NNPP.
Olaposi added that the Memorandum of Understanding between the Kwankwasiya Movement and the NNPP ended after the 2023 elections. He lamented that instead of leaving peacefully, Kwankwaso tried to take over the party.
The NNPP scribe noted that most of Kwankwaso’s loyalists in Kano had already joined the APC before now.
Olaposi also criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for delays in uploading the party’s new leadership list following a court-ordered convention that produced the Dr. Agbo Major-led executive.
With the 2027 elections approaching, Olaposi stressed that the NNPP was focused on rebuilding its structures nationwide without the distractions of the Kwankwasiya crisis.