The National Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Dipo Olayoku, has rejected reports suggesting that the party’s former presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, is in discussions with the All Progressives Congress over a possible defection.
Olayoku maintained that Kwankwaso has never engaged the ruling party in talks about leaving the NNPP to join the APC.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, Olayoku disclosed that Kwankwaso’s last interaction with President Bola Tinubu was in January 2024, when he visited the President alongside Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf.
He said: “I can say authoritatively and categorically that Rabiu Kwankwaso has never discussed with APC as far as joining them.
“The last time he met with the president was January 2024, immediately after the Supreme Court ruling where he and the governor went to see the President.
“Yes there were rumours that there was going to be pressure on the Supreme Court and after the court gave their ruling and returned our mandate to us, in January 2024 Kwankwaso along with the governor paid the President a visit.
“And since then I can tell you authoritatively that there has not been any discussion between him and APC.
“There was a day we were having a meeting in Kwankwaso’s house, a very small group like a think tank, the national secretary was seated by my side and the leader was seated just directly in front of me.
“He was showing me something on Facebook that Kwankwaso was in Aso Rock having a meeting with the President while we were with him.
“He heard what we were saying and asked, we now showed him. That’s the extent to which they can go with propaganda.
“There was a time they were on television that Kwankwaso was doing medicals as if he was a footballer when this man was not talking to them.”
