The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has launched a countrywide drive to recruit politicians of integrity, as it prepares for the 2027 general elections. This move signals a deliberate shift from the party’s internal discord towards a renewed focus on electoral viability. The mobilisation effort underscores the NNPP’s determination to rebuild its base in a dynamic political environment where alliances and defections often determine electoral outcomes.
In a statement issued on Friday in Lagos, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, instructed all state and local government executives to immediately begin outreach efforts targeting politicians with “verifiable records, integrity, and honour.” The directive also calls for new membership registration drives and updates to existing voter registers, with the aim of strengthening grassroots structures ahead of primaries and campaigns. “All hands must be on deck to advance the NNPP’s primary objective to enthrone good governance in Nigeria with the fear of God,” Aniebonam emphasized, framing the initiative as a decisive pivot from past distractions.
This move comes in the wake of a prolonged leadership crisis that has plagued the NNPP since 2022, when former Kano State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso joined the party via his Kwankwasiyya Movement. Aniebonam, who founded the NNPP in 2001 as a grassroots platform for people-centred governance, played a key role in facilitating Kwankwaso’s entry and granting him the presidential ticket through a now-expired Memorandum of Understanding. Initially, this alliance helped propel the party to prominence in Kano, where it secured 18 House of Representatives seats in 2023. However, the collaboration eventually devolved into factional warfare, with both sides accusing each other of undermining the party’s core principles.
Aniebonam’s camp alleged that Kwankwaso’s faction sought to turn the party into a personality-driven platform, sidelining the NNPP’s foundational ideals. In response, the Kwankwasiyya faction rejected accusations of expulsion and instead claimed the Aniebonam camp’s actions were illegitimate. Legal disputes followed, culminating in a significant April 2025 ruling by the Federal High Court, which dismissed Kwankwaso’s challenge to Aniebonam’s leadership, deeming internal party conflicts non-justiciable. Other court rulings, including a November 2025 order from the FCT High Court, barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing Kwankwaso’s parallel structures, affirming the leadership of Dr. Agbo Major’s National Working Committee.
These legal victories, along with defections such as that of Kano Municipal lawmaker Sagir Koki in November 2025—who cited the ongoing leadership crisis—have diminished Kwankwaso’s influence within the party. Aniebonam expressed optimism, declaring that the crisis was “almost done.”
A key point of contention in the party’s dispute has been its logo. The original NNPP emblem—a green and white basket of fruits—was designed to reflect the party’s founding principles of unity and abundance. However, Kwankwaso’s faction adopted a red book motif associated with the Kwankwasiyya Movement, leading to confusion among voters and disputes with INEC. Aniebonam has called for the cessation of the use of the “wrong logo” by Kwankwaso’s group, noting that INEC cannot register duplicate parties. In June 2025, after a series of legal challenges, INEC reverted to the original fruit basket logo, which Aniebonam’s side hailed as a vindication.
Despite the ongoing legal battles and internal tensions, Aniebonam has expressed a conciliatory tone. In his statement, he extended well-wishes to departing members, including those expelled for non-conformity, and emphasized the need for forgiveness in accordance with God’s wisdom. He cautioned against “distractions and negative intentions,” in line with earlier warnings, such as a May 2025 caution against ex-candidates attempting to negotiate coalitions without party leadership consent.
For Nigeria’s opposition landscape, the NNPP’s revival is not just a regional matter but one with potential national ramifications. The party, which garnered 6.23 percent of the presidential vote in 2023, demonstrated its potential as a northern disruptor, finishing third behind the Labour Party’s 25.4 percent. However, the crisis has led to key defections, including Abdulmumin Jibrin’s move to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Oluremi Oguntoyinbo’s exit to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in November 2025, both citing Kwankwaso’s “anti-party activities.”
As INEC has yet to fully resolve leadership recognition despite court orders, Aniebonam’s recruitment drive—emphasizing primaries over impositions—signals a shift toward greater openness for new aspirants, while prioritizing internal democracy. A September 2025 emergency meeting in Lagos reaffirmed plans for a 2027 candidate, with the possibility of alliances with like-minded groups, but without offering tickets to a single aspirant.
The nationwide search for credible politicians could reinvigorate the NNPP in southern and middle-belt regions, where the party has historically struggled for visibility. Aniebonam’s vision, rooted in the party’s non-ideological origins, stresses ethical vetting to avoid past pitfalls. In a multiparty system prone to mergers—evident in recent Labour-PDP negotiations—the NNPP’s focus on integrity could attract disillusioned politicians seeking a fresh platform.
This nationwide mobilisation represents not only an effort to expand but also a calculated reclamation of the NNPP’s founding charter. As the 2027 elections approach, the party’s ability to consolidate its post-crisis position will determine whether it can overcome factionalism and provide voters with a credible alternative to Nigeria’s entrenched political duopoly.