The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has announced that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, its 2023 presidential candidate, will not be permitted to contest the 2027 presidential election on the party’s platform, a major development in Nigeria’s opposition politics ahead of the next general election. Ogini Olaposi, the party’s National Secretary, made the declaration in a statement on January 11, 2026 in Lagos.
According to Olaposi, the NNPP ticket for 2027 will be open exclusively to bona fide party members who follow due process, in contrast to 2023 when the party’s ticket was effectively handed to Kwankwaso and his Kwankwasiyya Movement as part of a pre‑election arrangement. The Memorandum of Association between the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement, signed in 2022, expired after the 2023 polls and was not renewed, the party stated effectively severing the bridge that previously tied Kwankwaso’s faction to the party’s presidential ambition structure.
NNPP leadership described the 2027 selection process as inclusive and competitive, noting that several aspirants including diaspora‑based members have already indicated interest in contesting for the presidential ticket. The party also welcomed potential collaborations with like‑minded political organisations as part of preparations for the 2027 cycle.
Olaposi criticised suggestions that Kwankwaso’s personal influence alone could secure electoral success, asserting that his past performance and base particularly in Kano State have diminished, in part due to defections of key supporters to other parties. The NNPP has emphasised that its national working committee (NWC), legally recognised and endorsed by the courts, will oversee all alliance negotiations and candidate selections for the 2027 elections.
This decision marks a significant pivot for the party and reconfigures the political landscape, forcing Kwankwaso to explore alternative platforms or alliances should he pursue presidential ambitions for 2027.
