The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has said it will align with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the presidential election ahead of the 2027 general polls.
NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, disclosed this on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
He noted that despite the defection of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the NNPP would continue to participate actively in the next general elections.
“The NNPP will continue to contest elections. At the presidential level, we will align with the ADC, and possibly in some national elections but we will still field candidates across other positions,” Johnson said.
According to him, extensive consultations were held among opposition leaders before Kwankwaso, a former two-term governor of Kano State, decided to join the ADC.
When asked whether Kwankwaso’s exit would weaken the NNPP, Johnson dismissed the suggestion, insisting the move was part of a broader effort by opposition figures to act in the interest of Nigerians.
“There have been wide-ranging discussions. Opposition leaders believe it is in the best interest of Nigerians to come together under a single platform to offer a credible alternative in 2027,” he said, adding that Kwankwaso would formally register with the ADC in Kano later on Monday.
Kwankwaso’s planned defection follows weeks of consultations involving leaders of the Kwankwasiyya movement and key figures within the ADC.
In recent weeks, he has held a series of high-level meetings with opposition stakeholders as part of efforts to build a broad political coalition capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
These engagements included talks with prominent figures such as ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola; Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; and Senator Seriake Dickson.
Political observers say the development is part of a wider opposition strategy to form a formidable alliance ahead of 2027 and challenge the APC at the federal level.
The move also comes amid a deepening rift between Kwankwaso and his estranged political ally, Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf.
Yusuf, once a key figure in the Kwankwasiyya movement, recently defected from the NNPP to the APC alongside several lawmakers and political appointees.
Kwankwaso has publicly opposed the move, describing it as a betrayal and distancing himself from the defection, further exposing cracks within the political movement he built over the years.
