The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has dismissed reports alleging that its national leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, held talks to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the claims as false and malicious.
In a statement issued on Saturday, January 31, 2026, and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, the NNPP said Kwankwaso never entered into any discussion with the APC or President Bola Tinubu regarding defection.
Johnson described the reports as “blatant lies” deliberately crafted to discredit the former Kano State governor.
“It is regrettable that such falsehoods, allegedly orchestrated by individuals posing as authoritative sources, were published as lead stories in some major newspapers,” he said.
“We wish to state categorically that at no time did Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso meet with President Bola Tinubu or any of his proxies within or outside the APC to discuss defection,” Johnson added.
He was reacting to recent media reports claiming that Kwankwaso’s alleged defection plans collapsed due to what was described as “high demands” made to the ruling party.
According to the NNPP spokesperson, the reports were entirely fabricated.
“Just days ago, a newspaper published a lead story detailing why Senator Kwankwaso’s supposed defection failed, based on imaginary demands. Nothing of the sort ever happened,” he said.
Johnson alleged that the reports were sponsored as part of a coordinated smear campaign to tarnish Kwankwaso’s image.
“It is obvious that this was a sponsored attempt to discredit Senator Kwankwaso, but the campaign of calumny has failed,” he stated.
He further claimed that those spreading the rumours were likely political actors who had since defected to the ruling party.
Johnson described the situation as a conspiracy by elements of the political elite seeking to undermine Kwankwaso’s influence.
“Some individuals are attempting to preempt his next political move and prevent him from forming alliances they believe could threaten their grip on power,” he said.
Reaffirming the NNPP’s confidence in its leader, Johnson said Kwankwaso remained a politician of integrity with strong grassroots support across the country.
“Senator Kwankwaso is a man of integrity who plays politics with the interest of the masses at heart. His supporters, particularly the talakawa, have not been swayed by these elitist media narratives,” he added.
The NNPP urged Nigerians to disregard what it described as misleading media reports and speculation surrounding Kwankwaso’s political future.
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2026-01-31