The Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 genera election, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has delivered a scathing indictment of political defection, describing it as “the greatest political sin” in any democracy.
Addressing supporters in Kano on Friday during the reception of new defectors from Takai Local Government Area into the NNPP, Kwankwaso pulled no punches.
“This is the highest form of betrayal in a democratic setting,” he said. “When the poor entrust you with their votes and you turn around to join the very people who oppress them, you commit a political sin of the highest order.”
His statement comes at a tense time for the NNPP, following recent high-profile defections to the APC, including Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila and Hon. Kabiru Alhassan Rurum. But far from shaken, Kwankwaso used the moment to reaffirm the ideological strength of the Kwankwasiyya movement and warn those who abandon its cause.
“Fighting the Kwankwasiyya movement is a grave mistake,” he warned. “It is a solid wall — those who try to break it will only hurt themselves.”
Reflecting on the party’s electoral journey, Kwankwaso credited the resilience of the common people — not money or political patronage — for NNPP’s rise.
“Some sold their votes for spaghetti and N2,000. But in Kano, the poor stood firm. If it were left to those people, the NNPP wouldn’t have survived.”
He urged NNPP members to stay focused on the bigger picture: social justice, grassroots mobilization, and a politics rooted in service, not self-interest.
“Whether you got an appointment or not, we are in this together. The poor now understand — and that awareness is our greatest weapon.”