The National Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Mr Ogini Olaposi, has declared that the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, will not be allowed to contest on the NNPP platform in the 2027 presidential election.
Olaposi made the declaration in a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos, stressing that the NNPP’s 2027 presidential ticket would be open only to bona fide members of the party.
According to him, Kwankwaso’s disqualification followed unresolved disagreements between the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement. He explained that the Memorandum of Association entered into by the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement in 2022 expired after the 2023 general elections.
Olaposi said alleged anti-party activities by some members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement after the presidential election led to the expulsion of top figures, including Kwankwaso and Elder Buba Galadima, noting that the expulsions had not been reversed.
“The NNPP ticket for 2027 is open to all members, unlike in 2023 when it was solely given to Kwankwaso,” he said, adding that the party already has presidential aspirants, including two from the NNPP diaspora.
He also stated that the party is open to alliances with other political parties that share similar ideologies ahead of the 2027 elections.
Olaposi dismissed claims attributed to Kwankwaso that he could only join another party if offered its presidential ticket, describing such assertions as unrealistic. He argued that Kwankwaso no longer possesses the nationwide political influence to demand such concessions.
He further claimed that Kwankwaso’s political influence in Kano State had diminished, citing the defection of key Kwankwasiyya members to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Olaposi urged parties interested in alliances with the NNPP to engage only with the party’s National Working Committee, which he said is court-recognised, insisting that Kwankwaso and his group lack the authority to negotiate on behalf of the party.
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