Former Kano State governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has dismissed speculation about his defection, insisting he remains committed to the party.
Speaking at the NNPP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, Kwankwaso described the party as united and making progress both in Kano and across other states.
“Let me take this opportunity to tell you that we have our party, and we are comfortable. We are happy. We are ready to do whatever it takes because we are not in a hurry,” he said.
He stressed that any political negotiations concerning the 2027 elections would be handled collectively by the party, not by individuals. “If there will be any negotiation, it will be collective. It will not be only for the negotiators but for the entire members of this NNPP family,” he added.
Kwankwaso, founder of the Kwankwasiyya movement, also rejected claims of internal division, maintaining that no member of his camp or the NNPP had expressed an intention to leave.
“The fact remains that there is nobody in Kwankwasiyya today that I know, or even in NNPP, who is saying, ‘yes, I want to go,’” he said, while criticising those fuelling rumours about his political future.
His remarks come amid heightened speculation about political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, as opposition parties explore strategies to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kwankwaso, who finished third in the 2023 presidential race, remains an influential figure in Nigerian politics, particularly in the North, where the NNPP enjoys strong grassroots support.
