The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has said that they are in advance talk with the former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso of possible defection to the party ahead of the 2023 general election.
The party said in a matter of days the former governor would join the party alongside his political structures and allies.
Recall that there have been speculations that Kwankwaso would be joining another party to vie for presidency after he criticised the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently.
Speaking with journalists at the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of NNPP, the National Secretary of the party, Ambassador Agbo Major said the meeting was aimed at taking crucial decisions that will reposition the party in the build-up of the general election next year.
“The gathering is our normal routine meeting of the NEC, we hold this meeting at intervals to review serious developments about the party, but today’s meeting is extraordinary in the sense that the whistle has been blown, Nigerians are getting set for the general election and we are meeting to reposition the party, and the frontiers are opening, a lot of Nigerians are coming in and there is need for us to adjust and accommodate the interests that are coming in.
“These are the very crucial decisions that we are about to take and it is going to midwife a national convention which will hold within the next 30 days.
“We have read Nigerians speculating, the only thing I can tell you as the secretary of the party is that we are in deep talks with Kwankwaso, in fact we have almost concluded, in the next few days, we will be reverting back to Nigerians to tell them what understanding we have had with the man (Kwankwaso), but I can assure you that he is on his way into NNPP,” he said.
He also ruled out an automatic ticket for Kwankwaso to run for presidency under the party platform, saying that other aspirants would be given the opportunity to contest for the party’s ticket.
“It (presidential ticket) is not automatic, he has told us that his moves towards coming into the party shouldn’t be seen as an attempt to take the ticket automatically, and we have encouraged other aspirants to come so that we can fully demonstrate the power of the rights of people,” he noted.
The Party Scribe also said that the party will not be going into any coalition or merge with any group or political party, noting that it had been tried in the past with no result.
“We have never been part of any coalition, it is important to let you know that the NNPP is a very old party and so we have seen a lot of these things come and go, we have never believed in this coalition thing because we have experimented it.
“In 2007 we went into some form of electoral alliance, we didn’t get what we wanted to get, coming together entails either a merger arrangement or a coalition, we have experimented with coalition repeatedly, and it has not given us any result, the only thing they have tried and it worked is the merger.
“We are not discussing with any group or any political party in any of these directions, we have always gone alone.
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