Kano state chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Alhaji Hashimu Dungurawa, has declared that Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, is not planning to defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking with journalists on Monday, Dungurawa dismissed reports linking Kwankwaso to another party, saying they were being peddled by politicians afraid of his influence.
His words: “The question of Kwankwaso joining ADC or any other party is just a miscalculation of politicians who are afraid of the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement,.
“I know Kwankwaso too well; he is not in a hurry to show where he is going.”
He described Kwankwaso as the political leader of northern Nigeria and a figure many politicians in the region look up to.
“Kwankwaso today is the political leader of northern Nigeria, and every politician, specifically in this region, is looking up to him, so it will be malicious to say he is decamping out for now,” Dungurawa said.
He said those concerned about Kwankwaso’s recent engagements were overreacting.
On reports that Kwankwaso has been seen engaging with people from other political camps, Dungurawa said such meetings are normal for an experienced politician.
He said: “As a politician who has a PhD in the field, do you expect him to hide himself or desert people? No way.
“He can talk to anybody, but it does not mean anything — it is a normal thing.”
He also criticised those he described as fake supporters of Kwankwaso, saying genuine loyalists know he consults widely before making decisions.
“Those so-called followers and supporters of Kwankwaso who are jittery of where he is going, they are pretenders.
“The genuine ones know that Kwankwaso doesn’t take any decisions without consulting them and seeking advice from as low as a ward supporter,” Dungurawa said.
He praised Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s performance in the state, saying his infrastructural projects have silenced the opposition.
“Governor Yusuf’s heavy infrastructural development overwhelmed the opposition.
“They can’t even show their presence anywhere in Kano. That is why we are proud of what he is doing,” he stated.
