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  • Kwankwaso Quits NNPP with Immediate Effect, Joins ADC on Monday

    Former Kano State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has resigned from the New Nigeria Peoples Party with immediate effect, bringing to a close his leadership of the party he contested the presidency with less than three years ago and paving the way for a formal move to the African Democratic Congress on Monday.

    Kwankwaso announced the resignation in a personally signed statement on Sunday afternoon, describing it as a difficult but necessary decision driven by what he called the current trajectory of Nigeria’s political landscape. “I wish to formally announce my resignation from the New Nigeria Peoples Party with immediate effect. As a committed and bona fide 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,” he said.

    ADC registration on Monday

    While Kwankwaso did not name the ADC directly in his resignation statement, his next destination is not in doubt. The Kwankwasiyya Movement issued a separate statement on Saturday directing all its members across Nigeria to register with the ADC immediately. “The Kwankwasiyya Movement wishes to formally inform all its members across Nigeria and the general public that our Supreme Leader Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has concluded all necessary arrangements to join the African Democratic Congress. In furtherance of this decision, he will officially register with the party on Monday, 30th March 2026, at his residence, Gidan Kwankwasiyya, Miller Road, Kano, by 12 pm,” the statement said.

    ADC National Chairman David Mark and National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola are expected to be present in Kano to formally receive Kwankwaso into the party. Former Kano Deputy Governor Aminu Gwarzo, who also resigned from office this week, is expected to defect alongside him.

    Gratitude to NNPP

    In his statement, Kwankwaso thanked the NNPP’s National Chairman, Ajuji Ahmed, the National Working Committee, the Board of Trustees, and party members at all levels for their support during his time. “I also thank the legacy members of the party and all followers of the Kwankwasiyya Movement for their dedication and commitment to our shared mission. We shall continue to collaborate and work together towards charting a better and more prosperous future for our dear nation,” he said.

    The road to Sunday’s resignation

    The decision did not come without warning. RNN.NG reported on Thursday that Kwankwaso had met ADC National Secretary Aregbesola at his Abuja residence, and separately held talks with Kano-based ADC leaders the same day. On Saturday, Atiku Abubakar — who is already in the ADC — hosted Kwankwaso in Abuja in what observers described as a final alignment meeting ahead of the formal announcement.

    Kwankwaso had polled 1,496,687 votes as the NNPP presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, finishing fourth behind Tinubu, Atiku, and Peter Obi. His exit leaves the NNPP — a party effectively built around his political movement — without its most prominent figure and primary source of electoral weight.

    What the ADC now looks like

    Kwankwaso’s entry completes a remarkable assembly of Nigeria’s major opposition figures on a single platform. The ADC already counts former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Senate President David Mark, former Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola, former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Abubakar Malami, Aminu Tambuwal, and Emeka Ihedioha among its members. The addition of Kwankwaso and his Kwankwasiyya movement — which commands significant voter loyalty in Kano and across the North-West — adds a critical regional dimension to the coalition’s 2027 presidential ambitions.

    A Kwankwaso Support Group has previously proposed a joint presidential ticket pairing Peter Obi with Kwankwaso as running mate, though no decision on the 2027 ticket composition has been publicly confirmed by the ADC leadership.

    Kwankwaso’s formal ADC registration is scheduled for Monday, March 30, at noon at Gidan Kwankwasiyya, Miller Road, Kano. RNN.NG will provide live updates from the event as the next major chapter in Nigeria’s 2027 political realignment unfolds.

  • Kwankwaso Meets Aregbesola, ADC Leaders Ahead of Expected Defection

    Former Kano State Governor and New Nigeria Peoples Party leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso held fresh talks with African Democratic Congress National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola on Thursday, in a significant step forward in his much-anticipated defection to the growing opposition platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.

    Following the meeting with Aregbesola, Kwankwaso also held separate discussions with ADC leaders from Kano at his Abuja residence, signalling that the groundwork for his entry into the party is being laid simultaneously at both the national and state levels.

    A defection months in the making

    Thursday’s meetings are the latest in a series of political consultations that have positioned Kwankwaso as the most high-profile figure yet to formally complete his move to the ADC. The Kwankwasiyya Movement’s spokesperson, Mansur Kurugu, had confirmed earlier this week that Kwankwaso was in active talks with the ADC, expressing optimism that the discussions would culminate in a formal defection before the 2027 election cycle begins in earnest. “It is true that Kwankwaso is in talks with ADC and NDC, and we are optimistic that the leaders will end up adopting one of the parties before the 2027 elections,” Kurugu said.

    The latest round of discussions comes shortly after Kwankwaso hosted former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde at his residence last Sunday, a gathering widely interpreted as part of opposition alignment ahead of 2027.

    Who is already in ADC

    The ADC has rapidly transformed from a fringe party into Nigeria’s most consequential opposition platform in the space of months. Peter Obi formally defected to the party earlier this year, along with his supporters, opposition legislators, and several National Assembly members. He joined a roster that already included former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, Aminu Tambuwal, Emeka Ihedioha, Rauf Aregbesola, former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, and Abubakar Malami.

    A chieftain of the ADC, Ladan Salihu, said Obi’s entry had fundamentally altered Nigeria’s opposition landscape, describing the party as now a credible challenger to the ruling APC.

    Kwankwaso’s political background

    Kwankwaso’s move comes as his political structure in Kano State shows signs of fracture. Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, a former Kwankwasiyya loyalist, is expected to defect to the APC, a development that has created visible tension within the movement and accelerated Kwankwaso’s search for a new national platform.

    Further complicating his situation, a Court of Appeal ruling affirmed the leadership of an NNPP faction led by Agbo Major over a rival faction, deepening internal tensions within the party and prompting renewed conversations about Kwankwaso’s future.

    The 2027 picture

    Atiku, Obi, and Kwankwaso finished second, third, and fourth, respectively, in the 2023 presidential election. Their potential convergence under one platform represents a significant consolidation of the opposition vote, which was widely split in 2023 — a split that analysts say handed Tinubu a more comfortable victory than he might otherwise have achieved.

    Kwankwaso’s name has featured in opposition calculations as a potential running mate on a joint ADC ticket, though negotiations on the ticket’s composition remain unresolved. His absence from a recent high-profile ADC event drew scrutiny, with analysts suggesting that while public alignment has begun, the private negotiations over structure, roles, and candidate selection are still ongoing.

    The APC has not commented on Kwankwaso’s reported plans to defect. The NNPP has not issued a formal statement on the matter as of the time of this report.

    A formal announcement of Kwankwaso’s defection to the ADC is expected imminently, with sources close to the process suggesting it could come as early as this weekend. RNN.NG will provide live updates when the announcement is made.