Political tensions are mounting amid fresh reports that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, is allegedly engaged in covert negotiations to join the ruling All Progressives Congress — a move insiders describe as a political trade-off involving control of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, Chairman of the NNPP’s Board of Trustees, described Kwankwaso’s alleged dealings with the APC as “deceitful and dangerous to internal democracy.” He also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of aiding what he called a “political charade” by failing to recognize court-affirmed party leadership.
The controversy adds fuel to the ongoing leadership crisis within the NNPP a conflict that has seen multiple court rulings affirm Dr. Agbo Major Gilbert as the legitimate National Chairman and Dr. Aniebonam as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
On November 1st, 2024, the Abia State High Court ruled in favor of the Aniebonam faction, a judgment later reaffirmed by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja. Despite being a party to the case and receiving all legal documentation, INEC has yet to implement the rulings.
Aniebonam has warned that INEC’s continued silence could be interpreted as institutional bias or outright sabotage. In his words, “This is not just administrative negligence, it is a direct affront to judicial authority and democratic order.”
Critics are also raising doubts about Senator Kwankwaso’s perceived political dominance in the North, particularly Kano State. Despite leading the NNPP in the 2023 presidential race, Kwankwaso trailed behind Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi in most Northern states casting doubt on claims of a solid regional base.
Aniebonam further alleged that Kwankwaso is using proxies, including one Dr. Ahmed Ajuji, to file legal distractions aimed at stalling the enforcement of court rulings while he negotiates entry into the APC.
But the path into the ruling party may not be smooth. Several APC leaders in Kano including former National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, and Senators Mukaila and Baffa Bichi are reportedly opposed to any alliance with Kwankwaso, viewing him as a divisive figure rather than a strategic partner.
Observers note that Kwankwaso’s political style has long been characterized by unilateral decisions, the imposition of loyalists, and frequent fallouts with key political allies
including President Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, and former Kano Governor Ibrahim Shekarau.
The NNPP’s Publicity Secretariat is now calling on INEC to immediately obey court orders and update its official records to reflect the authentic leadership of the party. The party is also urging President Tinubu to reject what it calls “opportunistic politics” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The survival of electoral credibility and the rule of law in Nigeria is on the line,” the party’s statement reads. “Nigeria is not a banana republic. INEC must act now, and the President must not reward political betrayal.”
As preparations for the 2027 elections begin in earnest, the spotlight now turns to INEC and whether the commission will uphold the rule of law or continue to delay justice in one of the country’s most contested political battles.
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