The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has denied reports alleging that its national leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, held negotiations to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It described the claims as “blatant lies” aimed at discrediting him.
In a press 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 discussions with the APC or President Bola Tinubu regarding defection.
“It’s regrettable that such lies are not only being orchestrated by some individuals, purportedly sounding authoritative, but unfortunately also published as lead stories in major newspapers,” Johnson said.
“We wish to state categorically and for the record that at no time did Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso have any meeting with President Bola Tinubu or any of his proxies either in the APC or otherwise where issues of defection were discussed,” he added.
Johnson was reacting to media reports suggesting that Kwankwaso’s alleged defection plans collapsed due to what was described as “high demands” made to the APC.
According to him, such reports were entirely fabricated.
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“Just days ago, a newspaper carried a lead story about the ‘details’ of why Senator Kwankwaso’s ‘defection’ failed, predicated shamelessly on purported demands before joining the APC. It was all hogwash, as nothing like that ever took place,” he said.
He further alleged that the reports were sponsored as part of a coordinated attempt to tarnish Kwankwaso’s image.
“It could be assumed that the story was sponsored to discredit Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, but they have failed in this monstrous campaign of calumny,” Johnson added.
According to him, those fuelling the rumours were likely individuals who later defected to the ruling party.
Johnson described the situation as “a conspiracy by the political elite to discredit Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso,” adding that “some people are trying to preempt his next political move and stop him from entering into alliances they feel could threaten their continued hold on power”.
He maintained that Kwankwaso remained a politician of integrity with strong grassroots support.
“Kwankwaso is a man of integrity and plays his politics well, having the interest of the general public at heart.
“It is rather heart-warming that his political base and the talakawas are not swayed by what is contained in these elitist newspapers and television,” Johnson said.
Source: Channels TV
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