Kwankwaso: I’ll Only Join Any Party If I’m Offered Presidential or VP Ticket

*Says Gov Yusuf’s planned defection an act of betrayal

*Crisis may hit ADC over Atiku, Obi, others’ ambition

*Party’s flag bearer will emerge through presidential convention, says Abdullahi

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

The national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, yesterday gave conditions for his defection to another political party, saying that he can only defect if he is offered the presidential or vice-presidential ticket for the 2027 general election.Kwankwaso described Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf’s planned defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as an act of betrayal.

However, there are strong indications that the defection of the former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) may lead to a clash among the party’s presidential aspirants, potentially plunging the party into crisis.

With his formal defection to ADC last week, Obi is set to contest the party’s presidential ticket with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi.While it is not clear whether the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, is eyeing the ADC presidential ticket, there was an indication last week that the ex-governor of Kano State, Kwankwaso, who is also nursing presidential ambitions, might join the party.

Kwankwaso, who was the presidential candidate of the NNPP in the 2023 general election, however, stated that he can only defect to any political party if he is offered the presidential or vice-presidential ticket.Addressing NNPP’s supporters at his Miller Road residence in Kano yesterday, the former governor explained that he is always ready to accept an offer from any political party, given his political trajectory over the past four decades.He stated that his supporters, spread across the country, would only allow him to consider offers for the presidential or vice-presidential ticket.

Kwankwaso recounted that the APC leadership invited him to join the party, but he declined the offer because there was no solid proposal that would benefit him and his supporters.He said:  “According to our Kwankwasiyya political ideology, our top priority is to assist the poor and the youth by providing employment opportunities for Nigerians, improving educational standards, ensuring economic prosperity, enhancing the healthcare system, and boosting agriculture.”

Speaking on the recent move by Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to join the APC, Kwankwaso revealed that the governor has not consulted him or given any tangible reason for his planned defection.He described the planned defection as a shock to the NNPC leadership and its members. “This is a lesson to all of us. We thought everyone had understood. We never expected betrayal.“The most painful thing is that after everything we did to rescue Kano from Ganduje and the APC, you have now handed the governorship back to him free of charge.”Kwankwaso further explained: “As you also heard, they were supposed to decamp on Monday. I also heard that it has now been postponed.“We want to give you an assignment: continue praying for them. Secondly, if any of you are in contact with them, tell them to stop,” he said.

Party’s Flag Bearer Will Emerge Through Presidential Convention, Says Abdullahi

While Atiku, Kwankwaso, and Obi contested the 2023 presidential election with President Bola Tinubu, the former Rivers State governor contested the APC presidential ticket with the current president.Atiku, Obi, and Amaechi had vowed to contest the 2027 presidential election, with each insisting that he would not step down for a consensus candidate.THISDAY gathered that the uncompromising stance of the presidential aspirants might plunge the party into crisis.Besides, a former presidential candidate of the party, Dumebi Kachukwu, and a House of Representatives member, Leke Joseph Abejide, are currently in court challenging the takeover of the party by the David Mark-led leadership.These court actions, many feared, could also create a severe crisis in the party ahead of the 2027 general election.However, ADC stated yesterday that only the outcome of the party’s presidential convention would determine who would fly the party’s presidential ticket, adding that there would be no preferential treatment for anyone.The National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, told THISDAY that there would be no preferential treatment.He clarified that only the presidential convention would determine the party’s presidential candidate.According to him, “the coming national convention of the party is not for the election of the presidential candidate of the party.”Abdullahi said that the Mark-led party remains the only ADC recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).He insisted that Kachukwu was expelled before the assumption of office by the Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC).Speaking in an exclusive interview with THISDAY, Abdullahi said, “For clarity, the February state congresses and national convention are to fill all executive arms and to ratify all the elections and decisions so far made by the David Mark-led executive.”According to him, ”we are aware of the presidential interests of some members of the party; this one is not for the election of our presidential candidate. When we get to that bridge, we shall cross the bridge, but we have no preferred person ”

He further said, “This is not for an elective office like the governorship, presidential, and parliamentary elections. “This is not the time for it.”

Abdullahi explained that the Mark-led party is not aware of any faction within it, as INEC has since recognised it.

He said, ”INEC communicates directly to the David Mark-led executive. We are not aware of any faction.

”Before we came on board, Dumebi Kachukwu and others were expelled. That someone was a presidential candidate for the party in the past does not make them a perpetual owner or leader of the party. In light of this, INEC recognised the David Mark-led party.

The upcoming state congresses and national convention are to ratify all decisions made so far by the NWC led by Mark, and INEC has been invited to monitor the state congresses and national convention.

Abdullahi dismissed the guidelines released by a faction led by Nafiu Bala Gombe.