Spokesperson: NNPP to align with ADC for 2027 presidential election
The New Nigeria Peoples Party has said it will form an alliance with the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, made the disclosure on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
Johnson said that despite the defection of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the NNPP will continue to participate in the elections.
“The NNPP will continue to contest elections. Although at the presidential level, we will be in alignment with the ADC and possibly some national elections, we are going to have candidates down the ballot,” Johnson said.
He added that discussions were held with opposition leaders before Kwankwaso, a former two-term governor of Kano State, decided to join the ADC.
When asked if Kwankwaso’s exit would undermine the party, Johnson dismissed the suggestion, saying opposition leaders are working in the interest of Nigerians.
He confirmed that Kwankwaso would officially register as an ADC member in Kano State on Monday.
“There were extensive discussions. Some opposition leaders have decided that it will best serve their purposes and those of Nigerians to come together under one platform as an alternative for 2027.
“He resigned from the NNPP and will join the ADC today in Kano State,” Johnson stated.
Kwankwaso’s planned defection followed weeks of consultations between the former governor, leaders of the Kwankwasiyya movement, and top ADC figures.
In recent weeks, he held a series of high-level meetings with key opposition stakeholders to forge a broader coalition capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Last week, he met with party leaders and stakeholders in Kano State to consolidate internal support for the move.
He also engaged with prominent political figures, including ADC National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola; Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi; Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde; and Bayelsa West Senator Seriake Dickson.
On Sunday, Kwankwaso announced his resignation from NNPP, citing the need for strategic political realignment.
“I wish to formally announce my resignation from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) with immediate effect.
“As a committed and bonafide member of the party, this was not an easy decision to make. However, considering the current trajectory of the nation’s political landscape, which calls for strategic realignment, I have found it necessary to identify with another political platform that offers the best opportunity to effectively change the nation,” he said.
The development comes amid a deepening rift between Kwankwaso and his former political ally, Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, who recently defected from the NNPP to the APC with several lawmakers and political appointees.
Kwankwaso publicly opposed the defection, describing it as a betrayal, further exposing cracks within the movement he established.
