NNPP Bars Kwankwaso From 2027 Presidential Race on Party Platform

NNPP Bars Kwankwaso From 2027 Presidential Race on Party Platform
Party cites expired agreement and unresolved internal disputes
NNPP confirms new aspirants and openness to alliances

The New Nigeria Peoples Party has declared that its 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, will not be permitted to contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the party.

The NNPP National Secretary, Ogini Olaposi, made the declaration in a statement issued on Sunday, January 11, in Lagos. He insisted that the party’s presidential ticket for the 2027 general election would only be open to bona fide members.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Olaposi explained that, unlike the 2023 election when the party’s presidential ticket was exclusively handed to Kwankwaso, the 2027 ticket would be contested by all qualified and recognised members of the NNPP.

According to him, the decision is rooted in unresolved disagreements between the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement, which he said has since parted ways with the party.

“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.

He said the NNPP entered into a Memorandum of Association with the Kwankwasiyya Movement in 2022, but the agreement expired immediately after the 2023 general elections.

Olaposi further disclosed that alleged anti party activities by members of the movement after the election led to the expulsion of key figures, including Kwankwaso, Elder Buba Galadima and others, adding that the decision had not been reversed.

The NNPP scribe revealed that the party already has presidential aspirants preparing for 2027, including two members from the diaspora.

“We already have intending presidential aspirants and we are open to more, including possible alliances,” he said.

He also confirmed that the party was willing to collaborate with other political parties that share similar ideologies ahead of the 2027 polls.

Reacting to Kwankwaso’s recent comment that any party he defects to must offer him its presidential ticket, Olaposi described the claim as unrealistic.

He argued that the former Kano State governor lacks nationwide electoral appeal when compared to President Bola Tinubu and claimed that Kwankwaso’s political influence in Kano State has significantly declined due to defections within the Kwankwasiyya Movement.

Olaposi warned political parties seeking alliances with the NNPP to deal strictly with the party’s National Working Committee, stressing that Kwankwaso and his group remain expelled and lack the authority to negotiate on behalf of the party.