The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has formally declared that its 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, will not be permitted to contest the 2027 presidential election on its platform.
In a strongly-worded statement issued on Sunday, the party’s National Secretary, Ogini Olaposi, said the NNPP’s presidential ticket will be open to all bona fide members, unlike in 2023 when it was exclusively handed to Kwankwaso.
Olaposi attributed the decision to unresolved disagreements between the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Kwankwaso's political group, whose Memorandum of Association with the party expired after the 2023 general elections. He also cited alleged anti-party activities by members of the movement, which led to the expulsion of Kwankwaso, Elder Buba Galadima, and others—a sanction he said has not been reversed.
“Kwankwaso, who flew the NNPP ticket in 2023, will not be allowed to do so in 2027 due to the disagreements between the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement,” Olaposi stated.
Dismissal of Influence and Presidential Ambition
Olaposi dismissed Kwankwaso’s recent statement that any party he defects to must offer him its presidential ticket as “laughable.” He argued that the former Kano State governor lacks nationwide electoral appeal compared to President Bola Tinubu.
“Kwankwaso does not have the selling capacity nationwide like President Bola Tinubu, with his alleged one million votes in Kano State,” Olaposi claimed.
He further asserted that Kwankwaso’s political influence in Kano has significantly diminished, stating that many key figures within the Kwankwasiyya Movement have already defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Kwankwaso’s influence in Kano State is overrated at the moment… His influence as a former governor is long gone and cannot affect Tinubu’s votes in Kano State in 2027,” he added.
NNPP Looks Ahead
Olaposi revealed that the NNPP already has intending presidential aspirants, including two from the diaspora, and is open to alliances with other parties. He warned, however, that only the party’s National Working Committee is authorized to negotiate such partnerships, not Kwankwaso or his expelled faction.
The development comes amid intense political maneuvering ahead of the 2027 elections, with speculation linking Kwankwaso and other politicians to potential alignments with parties such as the African Democratic Congress. The statement from the NNPP signals a definitive rupture with its former flagbearer and sets the stage for a contested presidential primary within the party.
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