There is growing unease among supporters of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)’s 2023 presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, over his prolonged silence on his 2027 move.
Naija News reports that one of Kwankwaso’s close associates, in an interview with Punch, stated that the former Governor of Kano State’s silence is affecting the party and his supporters.
The associate also noted that Kwankwaso’s support base is becoming unstable, with some members of the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement defecting in large numbers to join other parties or support other aspirants.
He said, “He (Kwankwaso) has been silent about his plans for the 2027 elections. Even those of us close to him don’t know what he intends to do we’re just waiting for him to decide.
“This prolonged silence is seriously affecting both our party and our group. Since we are already in the electioneering season, many of our supporters expected him to have declared his position by now.
“As a result, Kwankwaso’s support base is becoming unstable, with some members of the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement leaving in droves to join other parties or support other aspirants. We hope he will make his position known soon.”
NNPP Factions Divided
The anti-Kwankwaso faction of the NNPP, led by Agbo Major, has described the ex-governor as a political burden who causes disunity within the party.
In an interview with PUNCH, the faction’s National Secretary, Olaposi Oginni, said that Kwankwaso’s departure from the party to either join the All Progressives Congress (APC) or the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition would be a good riddance to bad rubbish.
He said, “Kwakwanso can go wherever he likes; it is good riddance to bad rubbish,” Major said. “He met us in the party, yet he wants to hijack the party from us just because we gave him the opportunity to be the presidential flag-bearer of the party in 2023.
“As far as we are concerned in the NNPP, Kwakwanso is a political liability; he brought disunity into the party. His intention is to pocket the party as his personal property, and we say that can’t stand and it will never stand. As a matter of fact, we are not worried about his exit from the party because he is rather a curse and not a blessing to the party.”
However, the pro-Kwankwaso NNPP faction, led by Ajuji Ahmed, described the ex-Kano governor as an exceptional leader that any political party would be eager to have.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Oladipo Johnson, stated that Kwankwaso remains a member of the NNPP and is committed to the growth and development of Nigeria.
He said, “We know why all political parties want to have Kwankwaso with them—he is popular among Nigerians and a great leader with numerous achievements at both the national level and in Kano State.
“But our position has not changed. All options are on the table, and we are carefully weighing them. At the appropriate time, we will inform Nigerians through you if anything changes.
“So, Kwankwaso is still a member of the NNPP and remains committed to the growth of the party and the development of Nigeria. That is the current situation.”
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