The New Nigeria Peoples Party has denied reports claiming that its national leader, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, engaged in discussions aimed at defecting to the All Progressives Congress.
The party said Kwankwaso neither approached the APC nor held any meeting with President Bola Tinubu over a possible switch, contrary to speculations circulating in some quarters.
The reports emerged in the wake of claims that the NNPP had fallen out with the former Kano State governor following the alleged defection of Governor Abba Yusuf to the APC, with insinuations that Kwankwaso’s “excessive demands” stalled the move.
Fueling the speculation, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Global Investment and Trade Company, Baba Yusuf, had said in an interview on Arise TV that Kwankwaso misread his political strength in the purported negotiations with the ruling party.
He stated during the interview that the former senator had overestimated his bargaining power in talks reportedly held with the APC.
However, the NNPP dismissed the narrative as false and misleading.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, said Kwankwaso never considered leaving the NNPP for the APC.
Johnson stressed that the former Kano State governor neither made demands nor entered into negotiations with the APC or President Tinubu regarding defection.
He added that the last meeting between Kwankwaso and the President took place in 2024 and had no connection with discussions about joining the ruling party.
Johnson described the reports as a deliberate attempt to tarnish Kwankwaso’s image and weaken opposition forces, insisting that the NNPP leader remained committed to principled politics and the interest of the public.