Kwankwaso Denies Reaching Agreement on Defecting to APC, More High-profile Defections Underway, Abbas Claims
The 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has debunked reaching agreement with any individual on the trending rumour of defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC), or any other political party.
This is just as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has predicted more defections of high-profile opposition figures to the ruling APC in the months ahead.
Kwankwaso, who was reacting to a recent statement suggesting that he has taken a position, said it was the imagination of falsehood and fragmentation of political mischief against him.
The former Kano State governor, who took to his official X handle @KwankwasoRM, insisted he has since refrained from commenting on contemporary political events, and will continue to do so for the time being.
Responding to a statement purportedly signed by one Ibrahim Rabiu, Kwankwaso insisted he had never signed or authorised any statement to be issued on his behalf.
He said: “My attention has been drawn to a statement purportedly stating my position on the recurring political realignments. I wish to categorically state that such statements are false, unfounded, and products of political mischief.
“I have refrained from commenting on contemporary political events, and I will continue to do so for the time being.
“I urge the public to only engage statements that come from my public handles and other official sources.”
Meanwhile, the author of the purported statement, Rabiu, has denounced the statement as a work of the devil.
He said: “I Ibrahim Rabiu, wish to inform the general public that I was never authorised by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso to issue and release a statement on his behalf.
“I therefore wish to tender a public apology to his person with a promise that such childish act will never be repeated in the future, please find a space in your heart to forgive me, I was misled by fake news and agents of misinformation.”
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas, has predicted more defections of high-profile opposition figures to the ruling APC in the months ahead.
This, the Speaker said, is an indication of the growing confidence Nigerians have in the ruling party.
Abbas disclosed this yesterday in Kaduna at the North-West Zonal Stakeholders Meeting of the party.
He said, since the 2023 general election, the APC has secured governorships in 19 states and maintains the largest presence in both chambers of the National Assembly.
According to him, the momentum has been further bolstered by the recent defections of federal lawmakers from Kano, Osun, Kebbi, Delta, and Edo states, bringing the total number of defections in the House to 25.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Speaker, Musa Krishi quoted Abbas as saying, “At the gubernatorial level, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, have decamped to our party, and we anticipate many more high-profile defections in the coming months, reflecting the growing confidence of Nigerians in our party and President Tinubu.
“Furthermore, we celebrate the APC’s victory in the 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election, where Senator Monday Okpebholo secured a decisive win for our party.
“Since the last National Working Committee (NWC) meeting, our internal reforms have deepened democracy within the party, enhanced candidate selection processes, and strengthened grassroots structures.
“With these improvements, we have made significant strides regionally through targeted policy dialogues and development partnerships, revitalising our presence in Zamfara and Sokoto. Simultaneously, our accomplishments in the South-South have been reinforced by strategic realignments validated at the polls in Rivers and Bayelsa.”
The speaker described the North-West geopolitical zone as a voting power bloc in Nigerian elections, adding that it is “a decisive force in shaping electoral outcomes.”
