“It Is Not Compulsory”: NNPP Rules Out 2027 Presidential Candidate

The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) will not field a presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections, opting instead to pursue strategic alliances with other political parties, in a decision that signals a significant recalibration of opposition politics ahead of the polls.

The announcement was made on Saturday in Abuja by the party’s National Chairman, Bala Mohammed, at the 11th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. Mohammed explained that the move reflected the party’s desire to consolidate opposition strength behind a single credible contender rather than dilute the field with additional candidates.

“We are not going to have a presidential candidate in our party, but we are open to an alliance,” Mohammed declared. “It is not compulsory to field a presidential candidate just for the sake of it. We need to see those who have emerged from other political parties and determine whether they are credible, qualified and capable of leading Nigeria.”

The NEC meeting also formally ratified Mohammed’s appointment as Acting National Chairman, following the resignation of Dr Ajuji Ahmed, who recently defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Acting state chairmen for Ogun, Delta, Nasarawa, and Cross River were equally ratified, while candidates selected through the consensus method, in line with the Electoral Act 2026, were endorsed.

The development comes against the backdrop of significant turbulence within the NNPP. The party rose to national prominence after the 2023 general elections, when its presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, emerged as a notable contender in a four way race dominated by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi of the Labour Party. The NNPP secured its first governorship victory in Kano State, along with legislative seats at both national and state levels.

However, the party has since haemorrhaged elected officials and appointees. Kwankwaso, the party’s 2023 standard bearer, has since departed for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), prompting speculation that the NNPP could align with the NDC in 2027. Mohammed declined to confirm any such arrangement.

“As of 2023, the presidential candidate we fielded was the most qualified and most credible candidate in Nigeria. But he has left our party and joined the NDC. We wish him all the best,” he said, adding that the absence of a candidate of comparable stature within the party informed the decision against fielding a presidential contender.

The party’s National Secretary, Dipo Olayoku, presented a report on preparations for 2027, acknowledging that the past three years had been difficult. “The past three years have not been easy for this party. All our elected members and appointees in government, whom we laboured to bring into office, have left in the name of political realignment,” Olayoku stated.

The NNPP’s decision adds to a fluid pre-election landscape already marked by mass defections, coalition manoeuvres, and the resurgence of the ADC as a rallying platform for opposition figures, with parties across the spectrum repositioning ahead of what is shaping up to be one of Nigeria’s most unpredictable presidential contests since the return to democracy in 1999.