A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has addressed speculations surrounding the possible alignment of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, with either the opposition coalition or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Friday, Galadima dismissed reports suggesting that Kwankwaso had made any definitive move to join the newly announced opposition coalition, led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), or return to the APC, from which he defected in 2022.
Instead, the NNPP stalwart urged Nigerians and political stakeholders to rally behind Kwankwaso, whom he described as “the only politician that this country needs and ought to follow.”
“Our party, the NNPP, is a political party registered under Nigerian laws, recognised by INEC,” Galadima said. “We stand where we are. Of course, we had several things being said in the social media, in the press, but that only goes to confirm that Rabiu Kwankwaso is the only politician that this country needs and ought to follow.”
Galadima noted that despite remaining silent in the current wave of political realignments, Kwankwaso continues to attract unsolicited public support and positive sentiments, which he said is due to the former governor’s widespread credibility.
“He has decided to keep quiet, and people are campaigning for him free of charge,” he said. “Instead of spending money to launder his image, everybody [is] saying he’s a good person… he’s a capable person… he has capacity to run this country. What else do you need in any politician?”
He further stressed that all political parties appear to recognise Kwankwaso’s relevance and are courting him for strategic advantage ahead of the next general elections.
“Every Nigerian needs him. Every political party needs him. Why don’t they support him to become the president of Nigeria so that he can deliver the dividends of democracy?” Galadima concluded.
The comment comes amid the launch of an opposition coalition involving politicians such as Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, and Rotimi Amaechi, a former chieftain of the APC.
