The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has dismissed the rumours in the media that its presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is planning to dump the party for the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Kwankwaso recently met with the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Paris, France, where the duo discussed several national issues and was this week in Niger State to commission projects. After the 2023 elections, NNPP has a total of 38 House of Assembly members-elect, 18 House of Representatives members-elect, 2 senators-elect and a governor-elect.

But the national publicity secretary of the NNPP, Dr Agbo Major, while addressing a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, said Kwankwaso will never dump the party for any other parties as he is a pan-political party politician whose relationship cut across various political platforms. He added that Kwankwaso and elected party members believe in the principles, agenda, programs and manifestos of the party.

Agbo said as the leader of the party, Kwankwaso believes in Nigeria’s unity and will continue to relate with other leading politicians across the country. He however said that NNPP has made it difficult for any politicians that contested and won on the party’s platform to cross to other parties.

“We have always said that what divides politicians is the campaign period. After campaigns, it becomes one country. You understand what I’m talking about and that is what is killing us in Africa and our democracy. If you go to advance democracies, people are divided temporarily during campaigns and after campaigns, the agenda becomes one and that is the country.

“He (Kwankwaso) is one man who is a politician across all levels. He has had stints with all these political parties in the past and his friends are still there. Supposing I know to tell you that going to Niger State to even chair the inaugural lecture for the incoming governor of Niger is an arrangement to bring the governor across to NNPP it will sound funny to you. So it is a two-way thing.

“But I can tell you that our presidential candidate is a leader of the party. This is the party he believes in. This is a party his movements that he came in believes in. Don’t be afraid he is not going anywhere.

“But as I said he is one man whose relationship with people cut across more political platforms. You will see more of that. Like yesterday (Friday), he was with the governor of Kaduna State commissioning about four or five projects. The other day he was in Rivers, a PDP-led State where he also commissioned projects. Maybe by the time the governors are inaugurated, we will make arrangements for him to go to Abia, a Labour Party state so that you can see that he is a pan-political party politician. The party has taken its firm roots. There is no cause to be afraid. We are good to go. We are looking at 2027.”

Meanwhile, the party has said that the swearing-in of the governor-elect of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, on Monday, May 29, 2023, will herald democracy at its finest in Kano as it will bring in trust, effective leadership, responsibility, equity, competence, justice, patriotism, sanctity and dignity of life as summed up in the NNPP motto.

“They (the elected representatives) should reenact Engineer Musa Kwankwaso’s era in the state which was characterised by massive reforms, development and provision of infrastructure, agriculture, education, transportation, health, housing, security, sports, wealth creation and social amenities.

“The success of the party in Kano State will expand its frontiers across the nation in the people’s quest for a new, better and prosperous Nigeria. All eyes are on NNPP’s government in Kano State to point the way forward to the nation as the foremost party in Nigeria. We must justify the confidence the people reposed in our party anchored on good governance.”

The party also called on the security agents to be alive to their constitutional duties to crush terrorism, tackle insurgency, militancy, banditry, armed robbery and kidnapping in the country.”