Kwankwaso keeps APC option open, insists on protection for supporters

The national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has signalled a possible move to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he has not ruled out joining the ruling party but remains cautious due to past political experiences.

Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, made the remarks on Thursday while receiving supporters from Rano and Dawakin Tofa local government areas who paid him a loyalty visit at his residence in Kano.

Addressing the delegation, the NNPP leader explained that his current political posture was a strategic decision aimed at protecting his supporters and preserving leverage in ongoing engagements with President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the APC.

According to him, speculations that he had outrightly rejected the APC were misplaced, stressing that any decision to defect must be guided by clear guarantees on the future of Kano State’s political structure and the welfare of his political base.

“I never said I would not join the APC,” Kwankwaso said. “But before taking such a step, we must be fully assured of what lies ahead for the Kano State government, our lawmakers, and our supporters.”

He insisted that he would not enter any political alliance without clarity on his role, the direction of the partnership and the implications for policies meant to benefit ordinary citizens.

Kwankwaso also reflected on previous political alignments, recalling how his political bloc played a crucial role in the emergence of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, only to be sidelined afterwards.

“That experience taught us important lessons. I will not go into any arrangement blindly,” he said.

The NNPP leader further disclosed that, so far, he had not received any firm or written assurances guaranteeing the protection of Kwankwasiyya political interests or equitable treatment of its members within any prospective alliance.

He warned that abandoning the NNPP without such guarantees would be both premature and risky.

“Without clear and concrete assurances, especially in writing, it will be unsafe to take such a step,” Kwankwaso added.