By RAJI RASAK

The National Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr Ogini Olaposi, says plans to join the APC is by Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso and his Kwankwasiya Movement and not the party.

The NNPP scribe gave the clarification in a statement on Monday in Lagos.

Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the NNPP on Saturday, declared that his supporters and him are now ready to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Kwankwaso, however, warned that his political movement will not allow itself to be used to win elections and then abandoned afterwards.

Reacting to the situation, Olaposi said that by the declaration, Kwankwaso has finally admitted that he and his movement are not part of the NNPP.

“At last we have been vindicated. All negotiations by any party with Kwankwaso should be done on his individual capacity.

“Our party will now rest from the Movement’s resistance after they were expelled for anti-party activities.

“The NNPP has nothing against the ruling party and if at any point ahead of the 2027 general elections we think we should enter into alliance with APC or any other, it will be decided by all members.

“For now, we are putting our house in order ahead of elections nationwide after the crisis and litigations that Kwankwaso and his followers brought to the NNPP.”

According to Olaposi, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Kwankwasiya Movement and NNPP ended after the 2023 presidential election.

“The crisis began because rather than leave peacefully, they began to plan to hijack the party. We can’t wait to see them in another party,” he said.

The national secretary said that Kwankwaso no longer has a political platform and majority of his followers in Kano joined the APC long before now.

“Kwankwaso has no political party. His political value dipped after betraying the NNPP that gave him a free platform for his presidential ambition and when the strategic members of the movement joined the ruling party.

“Nigerians who negotiate with Kwankwaso and his group should know that it is on his right as a citizen but not as a member of the NNPP.

“Any negotiation in the name of NNPP is null and void because they remain expelled from our party.”

The NNPP chieftain lamented the delay by INEC in uploading the party’s new executive after a court ordered convention that produced the Dr Agbo Major led executive,” he added. (NAN)