The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has dismissed allegations made by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring attacks on opposition parties and members of the newly formed coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 9, by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Ogini Olaposi, the NNPP warned the ADC’s interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, to refrain from dragging the NNPP into his party’s political battles and unverified claims.
While reacting to Abdullahi’s recent remarks during interviews and media appearances, Olaposi stressed that the NNPP had no affiliation with the ADC-led coalition and should not be cited in its accusations against the federal government.
“Abdullahi should exclude NNPP from the unfounded assertion that APC is sponsoring attacks on opposition parties. It is surprising to members of the NNPP how he came about this belief when he is not a member of our great party,” the statement read.
Olaposi stated that if not for the ADC spokesperson’s attempt to mention the NNPP in his public comments, the party would have ignored the allegations.
Internal Crisis Not Tinubu’s Doing, Says NNPP
Addressing the internal rift within its own ranks, the NNPP clarified that its leadership crisis was not instigated by the APC or President Bola Tinubu, but rather orchestrated from within by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and his followers.
“Kwankwaso joining the coalition or not is not tantamount to NNPP joining the ADC or any coalition. We are not part of any coalition, and they cannot speak for us. Our issues are internal and have nothing to do with the ruling party,” the NNPP declared.
The party further stressed that it has no reason to believe that the APC was responsible for its internal wranglings.
“Our internal crisis, just like in other political parties, was borne out of avoidable betrayal of trust by the Kwankwasiyya Movement, even when the Memorandum of Understanding for the 2022 presidential election had expired,” it stated.
The NNPP also rejected the label of opposition party and described itself instead as a responsible partner among registered political parties under the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It said: “The NNPP does not subscribe to the word ‘opposition’ in the Nigerian context. We are responsible partners to all sister political parties. That is why we have the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in place.”
The party added that the term “opposition” in Nigeria is often used to discredit any government efforts, a notion it found both “sad and regrettable.”
The NNPP also criticised the growing tendency among political actors to resort to litigation over issues that should be resolved internally.
“The politicians gave themselves a constitution, yet they run to the courts for interpretations of the very same document. Even when courts urge them to use internal mechanisms, they refuse. This only benefits a few legal luminaries who profit from the crisis,” the statement added.
Do Not Use NNPP For Political Gang-up
In a final note of warning to the ADC-led opposition coalition, the NNPP made it clear that its platform is not available for what it described as political gang-ups.
“For the proponents of the coalition, please take note that on no account should anyone be deceived by the platform of NNPP. We are registered as a national political party to contest elections, not to gang up against any of our sister parties,” the party stressed.
The NNPP reiterated its independence and commitment to democratic engagement, urging all political actors to focus on strengthening their internal systems rather than blaming others for their woes.