The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and its ideological arm, the Kwankwasiyya movement, are currently navigating turbulent waters as waves of defections unsettle their ranks.
Central to the unfolding drama is the party’s 2023 presidential candidate and national leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, whose political future is now under intense scrutiny.
The most recent high-profile defection is that of Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South.
Although Sumaila has not officially announced his next political destination, a social media post showing him with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, coupled with his recent meeting with Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the APC national chairman, points strongly toward his imminent entry into the ruling party.
Sumaila’s move followed calls from his constituents urging him to join the APC.
This trend aligns with Ganduje’s earlier claim that the APC was poised to receive several NNPP lawmakers from Kano State.
“They’ve seen the handwriting on the wall,” Ganduje said.
“The APC is the only viable platform for serious politicians who want to deliver real governance.”
On Thursday, Ganduje hosted a reception for a batch of former NNPP/Kwankwasiyya leaders who had defected.
The group included Senator Kawu Sumaila; Hon. Kabiru Rurum (Rano/Kibiya/Bunkure); Hon. Abdullahi Sani Rogo (Karaye/Rogo); former Kano SSG Dr. Baffa Bichi; former House members Hon. Badamasi Ayuba and Hon. Sha’aban Sharada; ex-State Assembly member Zubairu Hamza Masu; and former NNPP commissioners Muhammad Diggol and Abbas Sani Abbas.
Except for Sharada, most had deep roots in the Kwankwasiyya movement but cited “injustice” within the group as the reason for their departure.
Ganduje indicated that a formal ceremony to officially welcome them into the APC would be announced soon.
The defections are not entirely unexpected.
Earlier in March, the NNPP’s Kano chapter suspended Sumaila along with three House of Representatives members—Aliyu Sani Madaki, Kabiru Alhasan Rurum, and Abdullahi Sani Rogo—for alleged anti-party activities.
Around the same time, the party also lost its only House of Representatives member from Jigawa State, Yusuf Galambi, who decamped to the APC.
These political developments have triggered widespread speculation about the future of Kwankwaso and his movement.
Some observers predict that he might rejoin the APC, perhaps positioning himself for a vice-presidential slot in 2027.
Others believe he could explore alliances with other parties, such as the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Still, the biggest sticking point remains: would Kwankwaso be willing to work under Ganduje’s leadership? Or would President Tinubu intervene to create a smoother pathway?
One scenario reportedly under consideration would involve offering Ganduje an ambassadorial role to diminish his dominance in Kano politics, thereby easing Kwankwaso’s potential return to the APC.
Kwankwaso’s political journey began in 1992 when he won a House of Representatives seat under the SDP.
He later became Deputy Speaker. Following Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, he was elected Governor of Kano State under the PDP with Ganduje as his deputy.
After a stint as Minister of Defence and a federal envoy to Darfur, he returned as governor in 2011.
Their alliance frayed during Ganduje’s first term as governor, culminating in Kwankwaso’s move from the APC back to the PDP.
In 2019, Kwankwaso backed Abba Kabir Yusuf’s unsuccessful gubernatorial bid.
He later left the PDP and revived the little-known NNPP, under which he ran for president in 2023.
Though he only carried Kano State, the NNPP performed strongly, winning the governorship, two Senate seats, 18 House of Representatives seats, and a majority in the Kano House of Assembly.
After the 2023 election, President Tinubu sought to lure Kwankwaso into his government.
However, after Kwankwaso’s name was absent from the ministerial list, it became clear that talks had broken down.
Still, Tinubu instructed Ganduje to keep working on Kwankwaso’s return to the APC. Ganduje later claimed the collapse of the NNPP made Kwankwaso’s return inevitable.
“The truth is, Kwankwaso has no political future outside the APC,” Ganduje said.
“We are ready to receive him, but on our terms, not his.”
Attempts to get an official comment from Kwankwaso’s team were unsuccessful.
An anonymous source said: “Politics is about timing. We will speak when it matters most. Right now, it’s about studying the moves on the board.”
Hashimu Sulaiman Dungurawa, NNPP Chairman in Kano and a close ally of Kwankwaso, downplayed the defections.
“To the best of our knowledge, only one person has left,” he said, referring to Senator Kawu Sumaila.
“Even he hasn’t officially told us. If he thinks the APC is his salvation, time will tell.”
Dungurawa added, “We dismissed him and others last month because, frankly, they brought no value to the movement anymore.”
However, he declined to comment on Kwankwaso’s next political move.
Engineer Buba Galadima, a longtime Kwankwaso associate, was more explicit.
He flatly dismissed suggestions that Kwankwaso might rejoin the APC.
“Kwankwaso has nothing to do with Ganduje’s APC. That’s a political circus,” Galadima said.
He added, “Even if there were talks, do you think Ganduje would be the one to announce it? He’s clinging to media relevance through our name.”
Galadima also scoffed at the idea of Kwankwaso joining forces with ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai under the SDP.
“Our ideology is different. We stand for the poor, and we reject politicians who enrich themselves at the expense of the people,” he said.
“God willing, our time will come. The 2023 elections were only a test. The real verdict is yet to be delivered by the people—and by God,” Galadima added.
Political analyst Dr. Kabiru Sufi from Skyline University, Kano, believes Kwankwaso is facing a defining moment.
“If he stays, he’ll need to rebuild his grassroots from scratch in some areas,” Dr. Sufi said, noting that many defectors played major roles in securing electoral victories.
“But if he defects—especially to a party other than APC—he will have to justify the move to both new allies and old enemies,” he said.
Even if Kwankwaso rejoins the APC, reconciling with Ganduje’s camp would be challenging.
“He must convincingly explain why he’s returning to a party he once criticised, or risk losing part of his base,” Dr. Sufi warned.
