The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has expressed indifference to its exclusion from the upcoming Kano State House of Assembly by-elections, asserting that its primary objective of supporting the children of deceased lawmakers has already been fulfilled. This stance follows a decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify the party from the polls scheduled for Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies.
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kano, Ambassador Abdu Zango, confirmed that while ten parties initially submitted candidates, the commission’s headquarters approved only nine, omitting the NNPP. The by-elections aim to fill seats vacated following the deaths of the previous incumbents.
NNPP spokesperson, Engr. Ibrahim Abdullahi Karaye, told Media Talk Africa that the party’s aim was never to secure the seats for itself but to ensure the children of the late lawmakers could contest. “All we wanted was to help them out after their parents’ demise, and we have achieved our goal even if they are not running on our platform,” he stated.
Karaye explained that after Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf defected from the NNPP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the young aspirants faced confusion about their candidacy. He said the party reassured them they would still be fielded as NNPP candidates, only for the APC to later submit the same individuals as its own contenders. “We have no issues with that,” Karaye added, noting the ultimate goal was for the orphans to assume their fathers’ positions.
He downplayed concerns that the APC’s acquisition of these candidates would significantly strengthen its majority in the 40-member Assembly, pointing out that the individuals had previously won elections on the NNPP platform. The NNPP currently holds only two seats after 22 of its members defected to the APC.
Karaye framed the party’s current position as part of a longer-term strategy, referencing the NNPP’s past growth from having no councilors before the 2023 elections. “When it is time for 2027 election, we will show our strength,” he said.
Regarding speculation that NNPP leader Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso might defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Karaye did not rule out the possibility, stating the party’s leader would make a “strategic calculation” in the best interest of its members. “If after weighing all options he decides moving to another party is the way forward, we will do that,” Karaye noted, adding that any decision would be publicly communicated.
The NNPP’s exclusion from the ballot is intertwined with an internal leadership crisis in Kano, where factions aligned with Dr. Boniface Aniebonam and the Kwankwasiyya group have both claimed legitimacy. The approved APC candidates are Hon. Nabil Sarki Aliyu, son of the late Kano Municipal representative, and Sa’ad Aminu Sa’ad, son of the late Ungogo lawmaker.
The by-elections will proceed on May 4 with nine parties on the ballot, while the NNPP watches from the sidelines, citing mission accomplished.
