The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has indicated that it will align with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 presidential election, in what appears to be part of a broader effort by opposition forces to build a united platform capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The disclosure was made on Monday by the NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
Johnson said the party had resolved to support a joint opposition platform at the presidential level while continuing to field candidates for other elective positions across the country.
According to him, the decision forms part of ongoing discussions among opposition leaders aimed at strengthening collaboration ahead of the next general elections.
“The NNPP will continue to contest elections. Although at the presidential level we will be in alignment with the ADC, and possibly in some national elections, we are going to have candidates down the ballot,” Johnson said.
He explained that consultations among key opposition figures had been underway before the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, decided to leave the NNPP and join the ADC.
Johnson also dismissed suggestions that Kwankwaso’s departure would significantly weaken the party, noting that opposition leaders were prioritising broader national interests in their political calculations.
“There were extensive discussions. Some opposition leaders have decided that it will best serve their purposes and those of Nigerians to come together under one platform as an alternative for 2027,” he said.
He further confirmed that Kwankwaso would formally register as a member of the ADC in Kano State on Monday after resigning from the NNPP.
“He resigned from the NNPP and will join the ADC today in Kano State,” Johnson stated.
Kwankwaso’s defection follows weeks of consultations involving leaders of the Kwankwasiyya movement and senior figures within the ADC as part of efforts to establish a wider opposition coalition.
In recent weeks, the former Kano State governor held a series of meetings with prominent political actors to explore the possibility of building a united opposition bloc ahead of the 2027 polls.
Among those he consulted were the National Secretary of the ADC, Rauf Aregbesola; the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi; Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde; and Bayelsa West Senator Seriake Dickson.
Kwankwaso also met with political leaders and stakeholders in Kano State last week to consolidate support among members of the Kwankwasiyya movement ahead of his move to the ADC.
On Sunday, the former governor officially announced his resignation from the NNPP, citing the need for strategic political realignment in response to Nigeria’s changing political landscape.
“I wish to formally announce my resignation from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) with immediate effect,” Kwankwaso said in a statement.
“As a committed and bonafide member of the party, this was not an easy decision to make. However, considering the current trajectory of the nation’s political landscape, which calls for strategic realignment, I have found it necessary to identify with another political platform that offers the best opportunity to effectively change the nation.”
Kwankwaso’s exit comes amid a growing rift within the Kwankwasiyya political movement, particularly between him and Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf.
The governor recently defected from the NNPP to the APC along with several lawmakers and political appointees, a development that further exposed internal divisions within the movement.
Kwankwaso openly criticised Yusuf’s decision to join the ruling party, describing the move as a betrayal and a departure from the political ideals that underpinned the formation of the Kwankwasiyya movement.
Political observers say the emerging alignment between the NNPP and ADC reflects growing efforts among opposition leaders to consolidate political forces ahead of the 2027 elections.
The move is also seen as part of wider discussions among opposition stakeholders seeking to build a viable coalition capable of presenting a formidable challenge to the APC in the next presidential contest.