The New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, says Rabiu Kwakwanso, the party’s presidential candidate is free to pursue his presidential ambition elsewhere. The former Kano state governor, the party said will not be allowed to use its platform to contest the 2027 election because he has since been expelled from the party and no longer its member.
The party’s National Chairman, Agbo Major made the remark in a statement on Saturday, accusing the former Kano state governor of being responsible for the crisis in the party.
Agbo said the party had bid Kwakwanso farewell after he contested the presidency under the party’s platform in 2023.
His remark also comes on the heels of recent suggestions that the former Minister of Defence is headed for the ruling All Progressives Congress,APC, following an agreement with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who many says is planing to dump current vice president Kassim Shetima for Kwankwanso for the next election.
The NNPP Boss said the former presidential candidate has the right to pursue his political aspirations wherever he chooses, noting that Kwakwanso had long been expelled for anti-party activities.
He stressed that the party will deal with the issue of its 2027 presidential candidate when the time is ripe.
Part of that eh said: ‘The NNPP had long expelled Kwankwaso and Galadima and so, they no longer speak for us, nor can they use our platform for any political contest. Our Memorandum of Understanding with the Kwankwasiya Movement, led by Kwankwaso ended shortly after the 2023 presidential election. We cannot even allow Kwankwaso for whatever reason to return to the NNPP fold because of the problems and internal wranglings he created for us.
“Kwankwaso led us into unnecessary litigation and even changed our party logo to the Kwankwasiya logo, all in an attempt to hijack the leadership of the party. It was the court’s interventions that led to INEC changing back to our logo that they submitted after a Kangaroo convention in Abuja.
“Certainly, Kwankwaso can never join any political party where he will not have the chance of leadership. Kwankwaso and his group remain expelled, and we will not readmit them because they betrayed our trust massively. He does not have the pedigree to match President Tinubu in any contest and so his ambition is dead on arrival.
“Whoever will emerge as the NNPP 2027 presidential candidate will do so, following due process and constitutionality. We will no longer handover our ticket on a silver platter, and definitely not to someone who betrayed our trust and is no longer on the party.’’
The magazine reported that the ruling APC had, a forthnight ago, forced the party’s National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje to resign, for allegedly preventing Kwakwanso from defecting to the party.
Ganduje and Kwakwanso, former political allies, and governors of Kano state are sworn political enemies, the bone of contention being the struggle over will control the soul of the commercial city.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
