Defections unsettle NNPP, Movement
Leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has officially welcomed 24 retired military officers of Kano State origin into the movement.
This was as the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano and its ideological subgroup, the Kwankwasiyya Movement, faced a political storm due to the wave of defections which rocked the party recently.
The 24 officers, who concluded their distinguished military careers in January 2025 after 35 years of service to the nation, declared their full allegiance to the ideals of Kwankwasiyya.
During their visit to the movement’s leader, they pledged their unwavering support for the movement and vowed to contribute meaningfully to its success in the forthcoming elections.
The delegation was led by the Executive Secretary of Kano State Scholarship Board, Kabiru Haruna, who described the move as a “bold and strategic alignment that reflects the credibility and growing momentum of the Kwankwasiyya ideology.”
Receiving the delegation, Kwankwaso appreciated their service to Nigeria and welcomed them “with open arms and a heart full of hope.” He praised their patriotism and commitment, assuring them that their experience, discipline and networks would be valuable assets in shaping a more progressive and inclusive Nigeria.
“This is a moment of honour,” Kwankwaso said. “These men have served our country with integrity and distinction. Now, they are bringing that same spirit to serve democracy and the people through Kwankwasiyya. Together, we will chart a better future.”
The endorsement by such a high-profile group of military retirees is seen by analysts as a morale booster for the Kwankwasiyya movement and a strong signal of its growing reach ahead of 2027.
HOWEVER, the defection of prominent leaders and chieftains from NNPP in recent months, especially those elected on the party’s platform in the 2023 general election, has raised concerns about the fate of the party and the implications on its quest to retain Kano in 2027.
With over one million votes at stake, the battle for control of the commercial centre of Northern Nigeria is certainly the main fight here.
Obviously, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is still not happy with its defeat in the state in the 2023 poll from the NNPP, and is bent on taking over the state in 2027.
Political watchers say the desperate attempts to lure NNPP chieftains and weaken the party is, perhaps, a deliberate strategy to achieve this aim.
The National Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, recently boasted that the party would win the state in 2027, with the defection of key NNPP leaders in Kano to the party.
But the National Publicity Secretary of NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, said Kwankwaso was not joining the APC ahead of the 2027 general election.
Johnson noted that there was no time the former presidential candidate nursed the idea of joining the ruling party or the Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.
