Former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has issued a pointed message to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declaring that the party will keep a vigilant eye on the electoral body ahead of the 2027 general election.
Kwankwaso spoke on Saturday in Abuja at the NNPP national convention, moments after newly re-elected party executives were sworn in. The event drew INEC representatives, party leaders and delegates from across the country.
The NNPP national leader congratulated INEC on the appointment of its new chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, but stressed that the credibility of future elections — and Nigeria’s democracy — rests squarely on the commission’s conduct.
“INEC’s job is so critical that it can make or mar democracy in this country,” Kwankwaso said, adding that the party expects a stronger and more transparent relationship with the electoral umpire going forward.
He assured members that the New Nigeria Peoples Party leadership at all levels would work tirelessly to consolidate and expand the party’s influence, while also commending the Kano State governor for years of support to the NNPP.
The convention ratified key decisions of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and elected members of the National Working Committee (NWC), as the NNPP steps up preparations for the 2027 polls.
The party’s renewed confidence follows its breakout performance in the 2023 general election, when it won the Kano State governorship and emerged as a major political force nationwide. Although Kwankwaso finished fourth in the presidential race, he dominated Kano State and made significant inroads across parts of the North-West.
However, the 2023 election was dogged by controversy, with widespread criticism over the malfunctioning of INEC’s BVAS technology and the failure of the iReV portal to upload results in real time, issues that sparked litigation and fresh demands for electoral reforms.
NNPP leaders insist those lessons must shape preparations for 2027.
Also speaking at the convention, Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf described the gathering as a defining moment for the party, warning that internal exclusion and division could weaken its growing political base.
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