The national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said he would only contemplate leaving the party if he is offered either the presidential or vice-presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.
Kwankwaso also criticised the proposed defection of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as a betrayal.
Addressing NNPP supporters at his residence in Kano on Wednesday, the former governor said that despite over four decades in politics, his followers across the country would only support any defection if it secured him one of the top two positions in the 2027 polls.
He disclosed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had approached him to join the party, but he turned down the invitation because there was no “absence of a concrete offer” that would benefit him or his supporters.
“We told them that we agree to go with you, but what will you give me? Appointments? How many? Which one among them will fit me, which I will accept? Which one will also fit the national chairman since the national chairman and his executives are important people with values? They didn’t answer any of it,” Kwankwaso said.
He reaffirmed the NNPP’s dedication to its Kwankwasiyya ideology, which focuses on uplifting the poor and empowering young people through job creation, education, economic growth, improved healthcare, and agricultural development.
“Some are saying it’s just a plan to have options one, two, three, etc. We brought those options then, but this time it’s a national issue, and Kano state must be united so we can win again in the next elections,” he said.
Reacting to Yusuf’s planned move to the APC, Kwankwaso said he was both shocked and disappointed, noting that the governor neither consulted him nor offered a clear explanation for the decision.
“This is a lesson to all of us. We thought everyone had understood. We never expected betrayal. The most painful thing is that after everything we did to rescue Kano from Ganduje and the APC, you have now handed the governorship back to him free of charge,” Kwankwaso said.
“We want to give you an assignment: continue praying for them. Secondly, if any of you are in contact with them, tell them to stop.”