(JUST IN) Defection: Kwankwaso breaks silence on ‘letter’ to APC

The 2023 presidential candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has reacted to a purported letter to the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which reportedly signalled his formal readiness to defect to the party.

Reports earlier suggested that the former Kano governor was in advanced talks with APC national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, over a possible return to the party.

But in a Facebook post on Friday, Kwankwaso insisted he had not written any such letter, though he avoided addressing the reported discussions with the APC chairman.

He said : “We have been alerted to some online statements suggesting that we have submitted a letter of intent to join a political party in the country.

“We would like to clarify that we have not made any such submission to any party.

“The public is therefore advised to stay informed of any further information regarding our matter through the established official channels.”

Kwankwaso, who ran on the NNPP platform in the 2023 presidential election and was instrumental in the party’s triumph in Kano State, is nonetheless reported to have set conditions for his possible return to the APC.

These include a demand that his ally, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, be guaranteed the APC governorship ticket in 2027, while he himself secures a significant role at the national level.