Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections, has expressed openness to rejoining the All Progressives Congress (APC) — but with strict conditions.
Speaking at his Miller Road residence in Kano while welcoming Buhari Bakwana, a former political adviser to ex-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, along with APC officials from all 44 local government areas of Kano State, Kwankwaso emphasized the need for “strong promises.”
He recalled his pivotal role in founding the APC in 2013, noting the personal and political risks involved. “Nobody in the country will tell me the burden we took in creating APC. We were the ones who led the creation of the party, and we were the first set of seven governors to declare support for it. ICPC, EFCC, and the police were all used against me then, just to stop our plans,” he said.
Kwankwaso insisted that any talk of merging with, or returning to, APC must clearly outline the tangible benefits for the NNPP. “If you are asking us to join APC, you must tell us what NNPP will gain. We have gubernatorial candidates in all the states and full structures nationwide. What will you offer them if we join?” he queried.
He also reflected on past disappointments with political alliances. “Eight years of APC under the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari gave us nothing, not even appreciation. In PDP, we asked for just a zonal party chairman, but they refused. We left peacefully and today we are strong and have integrity,” he said.
While remaining open to renewed negotiations, Kwankwaso issued a warning: the NNPP will not allow itself to be “used and dumped.” “We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us,” he maintained.
