National Assembly rubber-stamps, does the bidding of the President —NNPP spokesman, Johnson

The National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Mr Ladipo Johnson, in this interview by TAOFEEK LAWAL, speaks on the role of the National Assembly in the passage of the 2026 Amended Electoral Act signed by President Bola Tinubu. He also speaks on the readiness of his party for next year’s general elections and the state of the nation.

WHAT do you say to the signing of the 2026 Amended Electoral Act by the President? Some are saying the signing was too hasty. Do you agree with that?

I am not surprised that the bill was assented to by the President in record time. I have always known that the National Assembly is virtually a rubber-stamp Assembly and, as such, all it does is the bidding of the President. So let’s be clear, this is the President’s Act. No, there is no surprise.

The only governor elected on your party’s platform has left. What do you think this portends for your party in the 2027 general elections, especially in Kano State?

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We have gone back to the drawing board and I assure you, we will come back even stronger in 2027. When we took Kano in 2023 and got our governor elected, we had no officer in situ in government. We did it from scratch. This will be the same in 2027. The people of Kano State will speak and ensure that they punish the betrayal they have suffered at the hands of those who moved from the NNPP.

It seems the NNPP has been decimated by recent defections of top echelons of your party, such as federal and state lawmakers, chairmen of local government councils and the like. Do you still think the party has the capacity to win elections in the country?

Yes, indeed. The NNPP still has the capacity to do well and win elections. Strategic alliances in 2027 will make the party even stronger and increase our depth. However, if we localise the question to Kano State, then I will tell you that we will be victorious by God’s special grace, because it is not about the party per se, but about the people of Kano State.

There are rumours that the Kwankwasiyya Movement and the Obidients are in talks to explore the possibility of a joint ticket between Peter Obi and Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. Can you shed light on this?

There are many rumours flying around and also permutations here and there. However, it is quite clear that in the Nigerian political space there are only two politicians who have generic support. It is only these two gentlemen who can call out their supporters without financially mobilising them and you see millions of people turn up. This is the reason why people are talking about having the combination face the APC.

What is your comment on the state of the nation and what is the way out?

The state of our nation, unfortunately, is not so great. The cost of living is high and the standard of living is low. Insecurity pervades the land. In some places it is terrorism; in others, banditry; elsewhere, kidnapping, and it goes on. The naira has lost its value and, though the government would like to say it has recovered, what they ought to say is that there is a slight improvement from where they drove it down to, because the benchmark should not be what it is now but what the value was as at May 29, 2023, when this government took over.

There are many things that must be done to begin correcting the ills in our society: the economy, insecurity, the state of healthcare and education, to name a few. As we progress towards the 2027 elections, our party will begin to outline the alternative policies we believe are required to move this country forward.