Will Kwankwaso Dump NNPP for APC?

Nigeria’s political landscape is never short of surprises, and once again, attention is turning to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the influential leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement and former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). 

Fresh speculations are coming up about a possible defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and this time, the signals are coming directly from the top.

The newly appointed national chairman of the APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, recently declared that the ruling party’s doors remain wide open to opposition figures especially Kwankwaso. 

Speaking during a televised interview shortly after his emergence as chairman, Nentawe didn’t dodge the question when asked about the former Kano governor. “Our doors are open,” he said, hinting that anyone willing to return would be welcomed when the time is right.

This statement may not come as a shock to political observers. Over the past few months, whispers have grown louder that Kwankwaso might be considering a return to the APC, particularly ahead of the next general election. 

While the former senator has not publicly indicated his plans, the party’s new leadership appears eager to bring him and others like him into the fold.

Nentawe’s strategy is clear: rebuild, expand, and solidify the party’s national presence. During his acceptance speech at the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, he made it known that unity and growth are his top priorities. 

“I will work with everybody in the party… I will expand the party with you,” he promised party stakeholders.

Interestingly, President Bola Tinubu has echoed similar ambitions. At the same NEC meeting, the president reportedly encouraged efforts to attract more governors, senators, and top political players from other parties into the APC.

This coordinated approach hints at a broader plan to weaken opposition parties like the PDP and NNPP ahead of 2027.

Kwankwaso, who still commands significant grassroots support in northern Nigeria, especially Kano State, would be a high-value acquisition for the APC. His return would not only energize the party’s base in the region but also potentially disorganize NNPP, which he helped build into a formidable third force in the 2023 elections.

Whether Kwankwaso will make the move remains to be seen. Politics, after all, is a game of timing and negotiation. 

But with APC’s top brass actively rolling out the welcome mat, and with realignments already happening like Governor Umo Eno’s recent switch from PDP to APC, the question may not be if, but when.