Kwankwaso no longer in NNPP – National chairman

The National Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Dr. Agbo Major, has declared that former presidential candidate Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso is no longer associated with the party, stating that he ceased to be a member in 2023.

During an appearance on Trust TV’s Daily Politics, Major said the party has moved on without Kwankwaso and now regards him as part of its history.

“Let me make it clear that there are more serious issues to talk about than to talk about Kwankwaso as a person. I’m not here to talk about him. He’s become part of the history of NNPP. At a point, he came in, and at a point, he left with his Kwankwasiyya movement. So, I don’t want to talk about him,” he said.

“He’s gone by the provisions of the constitution of our party, and by the declarations that have been made across several courts of the land – the Abia high court judgement as well as the recent FCT high court.”

Addressing recent defections affecting the opposition, including within NNPP, the chairman attributed the departures not to dissatisfaction with the party itself but with the internal dynamics of the Kwankwasiyya group.

“Kwankwaso came in with his people – the so-called Kwankwasiyya movement. And if you look at the CV of the people that have defected, you’d see that they were very active members of the Kwankwasiyya movement. In fact, they were very instrumental to the success of the NNPP across Kano.

“So, they have lost very critical persons, very good politicians – politicians that are decisive, that could seal the fate of everybody. That’s exactly what has happened.”

Major maintained that the defectors remain aligned with NNPP’s values and leadership, distancing themselves only from the Kwankwasiyya structure.

“Let me place it on record by saying that they didn’t defect from NNPP, because we are in touch with them. All they keep telling us is that ‘we are with you, we have no problems with the party, we have no problems with the programs, but we have problems with the organisation that became part of you through which we came into the party and won election’. So, that we lost a Senator – Kawu specifically – that we lost two members of the House of Reps is not a revolution against NNPP.

“People have taken so much that they can’t stomach anymore. They’re telling the Kwankwasiyya movement ‘we are tired of what you are doing. It has become a one-man show, we are tired of it, we are leaving’. But I can tell you that they are with us. We are in touch with them.”

He added that internal party dynamics and dissatisfaction with leadership style within Kwankwasiyya prompted the exits.

“These are people that we have had robust relationship with, and I will continue to place emphasis on that, that deep inside them, they know that they don’t have issues with the leadership of the NNPP. The challenges that led to their departure have to do with the Kwankwasiyya movement and the way it is being run. The defectors are still our friends.”

Responding to concerns over Kwankwaso’s engagements with the presidency, Major was dismissive.

“I want you to put yourself in my shoes. Would you be worried if somebody – who for over a year now is not being a member of your party – is walking into another political party? Why should that disturb you? Please let us discuss serious matters. The man is gone. I told you that he is part of the history of NNPP. He came at a point and left. I don’t want to talk about him. I want to discuss things that would further enhance our operational capacity.

“What I can tell you is is that he is at liberty to go to wherever he wants, because we have no business with him. He ceased to be a member of this party since 2023 June.”

(DAILY TRUST)