The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Tuesday dismissed reports that its presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had congratulated President‑elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress as false. In a statement issued by National Publicity Secretary Agbo Major, the NNPP described the February 25 presidential election as “grossly flawed, contentious and disputed.”
Major said the claim that Engr. Kwankwaso had congratulated Tinubu was “a figment of the fertile imagination of anti‑democrats, political hirelings and fifth columnists leveraging the popularity of the party’s presidential flag bearer.” The party rejected the election outcome, arguing it did not reflect the will of Nigerians who voted but were disappointed by INEC’s failure to conduct credible, transparent elections and to upload polling‑unit results to its portals—an omission that, the NNPP contended, compromised the authenticity of the results and the declaration of the winner.
The NNPP further characterized the presidential poll as a “charade” that fell short of the expectations of both Nigerians and the international community. It accused electoral robbers of targeting the party to preserve the status quo, thwarting the “new and better Nigeria” the NNPP promised if elected. The party called it “unthinkable” that Kwankwaso would hastily congratulate Tinubu on a “questionable mandate” that other candidates also claimed to have won and were contesting in court.
According to the NNPP, all lovers of democracy, due process, and the rule of law will await the court’s determination of the election petition. Until a judicial decision is rendered, it would be “preposterous” for a party that was allegedly rigged out of most of its strongholds to concede defeat and congratulate INEC’s “imposed ‘winner’.” The mood of the nation since the electoral body declared Tinubu the winner, the statement said, shows that the result is “absolutely unacceptable to the majority of Nigerians who desire and deserve a new Nigeria which only the NNPP can usher in.”
Looking ahead, the NNPP noted that March 11 is another “date with destiny” as Nigerians head to the polls to choose governors and state legislators. The party urged voters to seize the opportunity to elect NNPP candidates for a “better, greater and prosperous Nigeria,” inviting them to join the effort and experience an improved life.
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