A faction of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has declared Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, as the substantive leader of the party, distancing the NNPP from ongoing political negotiations allegedly involving former presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday, by the National Vice Chairman Northwest Sani Danmasani, speaking on behalf of the party leadership, said recent media reports linking Kwankwaso to talks with the All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Labour Party and others should not be associated with the NNPP.
According to the statement, Kwankwaso and the “defunct” National Working Committee (NWC) led by Dr Ahmed Ajuji were expelled from the NNPP, stressing that the former Kano governor no longer has any authority to speak or negotiate on behalf of the party.
“We wish to make it abundantly clear that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is not the leader of the NNPP. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf remains the leader of the party,” the statement read.
The party further clarified that the Kwankwasiyya Movement was merely a political pressure group that worked with the NNPP during the 2023 general election, adding that the Memorandum of Understanding between both parties was terminated after the polls.
Danmasani urged Kwankwaso to stop “dragging the NNPP into personal political negotiations” and to desist from what he described as “insults, threats and abuses” directed at the leadership of the ruling party and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu using the NNPP’s name.
The statement also appealed to the media to properly identify Kwankwaso strictly as the founder and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, not the NNPP.
On Kano politics, the party cautioned Kwankwaso against actions capable of distracting Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf from governance, alleging that persistent court cases have led to wasteful expenditure and prolonged political instability in the state.
“Without the NNPP platform, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf would not have emerged as governor, yet we have chosen to support and encourage him to deliver quality governance for the people of Kano State,” the party stated.
The NNPP also warned sister political parties—particularly the ADC—to be wary of what it described as exaggerated claims about Kwankwaso’s political influence, insisting that the Kwankwasiyya Movement no longer commands significant electoral strength in Kano State.
It added that many former Kwankwasiyya loyalists, including elected lawmakers, have defected to the APC and would return to the NNPP once Kwankwaso exits the political scene of the party entirely.
The party expressed confidence that its ongoing legal efforts to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to update its records would succeed.
Reaffirming its political position, the NNPP stated that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is not defecting to any party, but noted that the party remains open to strategic alliances where necessary.
In a lighter note, the statement speculated about possible future political permutations involving Peter Obi and Kwankwaso, while recalling that Kwankwaso had previously declined to be Obi’s running mate in 2023.
The party concluded by reassuring Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and other elected officials that a resolution granting automatic tickets for the 2027 elections remains valid.
“NNPP belongs to God, and with God on our side, we remain united and focused,” the statement concluded.
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