The 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has strongly denied rumours linking him to a possible defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the reports as false, misleading, and politically motivated.
In a statement shared via his verified X handle, @KwankwasoRM, the former Kano State governor dissociated himself from a trending message claiming he had reached an agreement to return to the APC or join any other political party.
Kwankwaso said the claims were “products of political mischief”;; and insisted he has not made any official comment on current political alignments.
“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,”;; he stated.
“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,”;; Kwankwaso added.
The rebuttal came in response to a viral statement purportedly signed by one Ibrahim Rabiu, which claimed that Kwankwaso had met with President Bola Tinubu multiple times and was being persuaded to return to the APC fold.
In a twist, the author of the controversial statement, Ibrahim Rabiu, has publicly recanted, apologising to Senator Kwankwaso and describing the post as a “work of the devil.”;;
“I, Ibrahim Rabiu, wish to inform the general public that I was never authorised by Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso to issue and release a statement on his behalf,”;; he said in a follow-up message.
“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,”;; Rabiu concluded.
Kwankwaso’s clarification comes amid ongoing speculations and realignments across Nigeria’s political landscape, particularly ahead of the 2027 general elections.