The New Nigeria People’s Party against all odds Retained Kano State as it’s strong hold As Supreme Court Reverses Gov Yusuf’s Sack
The Supreme Court recently reversed the pessimistic judgement of the Court of Appeal, which sacked the Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, from office. This affirmation gives credibility to the the NNPP making them a major player in the political scene at the regional and national level
The New Nigeria People’s Party is a populist political party in Nigeria, predominantly active in the northern region predominately in Kano State.
It contested the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, for the first time and to the surprise of many pulled a lion share of the election results led by it’s flag bearer, Rabiu Kwankwaso who came in 4th place, carrying in the stronghold of Kano state
The NNPP can undoubtedly be tagged as one of the fastest growing party in Nigeria after contending and causing a disequilibrium in the scheme of things political in the country
Mohammed Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso is popular seen and know as the founder and leader of this political party
He was born 21 October 1956 and as been involved in Nigerian politics for decades Kwankwaso made his entry into politics on the platform of the Social Democratic Party in 1992. He was a member of the People’s Front faction of the SDP led by General Shehu Yar’adua and other popular politicians such as his former boss Senator Magaji Abdullahi, Babagana Kingibe, Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu, Tony Anenih, Chuba Okadigbo, Abdullahi Sumaila, Abubakar Koko, Lamidi Adedibu and others.
He has served as governor of Kano state from 1999 to 2003 and from 2011 to 2015. After he lost his re-election in 2003, he was appointed the first Minister of Defence of the Fourth Republic with no prior military background from 2003 to 2007, under the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He was subsequently elected to the Senate in 2015, serving one term under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Kano Central Senatorial District.
Former Governor Kwankwaso set up the National Movement as a political movement against the staying power of the two major political parties the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party on 22 Feb 2022.
He structured it in such a way that the New Nigeria Peoples Party as the political wing of the movement and became automatically became the national leader of the party till now. At some point he was expelled from the party due to some internal disputes. He was allegedly accused of involving in anti-party activities and misappropriation of party campaign funds, an issue that died a natural death
The Kano state gubernatorial election became a platform for another test of the party’s popularity.it was an unusual election because the NNPP as a political party was out it make a statement, they faced heavy weights like the PDP with the flag bearer of the person Sadiq Wali, while the APC projected Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, who was backed and was put in an advantageous position by the power of incumbency.The NNPP had Abba Kabir Yusuf as it’s flag bearer and a front line candidate
Abba Kabir under the platform of the NNPP scored 1,019,602 votes to defeat Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 890,705 votes
Subsequently in September 2023, the Kano governorship election petition tribunal sacked Yusuf as governor of the state.
The tribunal deducted 165,663 votes from the 1,019,602 recorded for Yusuf because the ballot papers were not stamped, signed and dated as required by law.But the supreme coury upturned this decision after hearing the appeal of the NNPP
The NNPP is indeed here to stay as Kano state in concerned and Nigeria at large