KEY POINTS

• Kwankwaso denies backing any plan by Governor Abba Yusuf to leave NNPP

• Party officials describe defection reports as false and politically motivated

• Governor Yusuf has yet to publicly address the speculation

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, has strongly denied reports that he supported an alleged plan by Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf to switch to the All Progressives Congress.

The denial comes at a time when more and more people are wondering if the governor is thinking about leaving the party that helped him get elected.

Earlier this week, rumors started to spread when it was said that Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano and presidential candidate for the NNPP, had changed his mind and agreed to the reported defection. The NNPP quickly shut down the story, calling it false and misleading.

Aide Says Reports Are False

Saifullahi Hassan, Kwankwaso’s media aide, denied the claims in a statement on Wednesday, saying that the party leader is still committed to the NNPP and its leadership structure.

Hassan said that Governor Yusuf was elected on the NNPP platform and is still a member of the party. He also said that there had been no discussion or approval of a move to the APC. He went on to say that any suggestion to the contrary was a deliberate lie.

The statement told the public and news organizations to only use verified information and not spread rumors that could make political tensions worse in Kano State.

Ladipo Johnson, a spokesperson for the NNPP, also denied the reports, calling the claims outright lies in strong language. He said that some unnamed politicians were trying to use Kwankwaso’s words to make a move that the party had not backed seem more credible.

Johnson said that anyone who wanted to leave the NNPP was free to do so, but they shouldn’t try to make it look like the party’s national leader supported their decision. He said that lying to the public could hurt your chances at the polls and that Nigerians would look for honesty and loyalty in the 2027 general elections.