The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has denied any move to collapse the party’s structure with other political parties.
The national chairman of the party, Prof. Rufai Alkali, said the party was not ready to surrender its legitimacy as a duly registered political party to any other party.
Alkali, who spoke with newsmen in Lagos, was responding to speculations that the supporters of its presidential candidate and National Leader, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, were in talks with the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Responding to the issue, the NNPP chairman said the room for mergers among political parties had already closed, citing the rules and guidelines for the 2023 elections released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Rufai also spoke about the recent defection of former Kano State governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, from the party, saying the party respects his decision but “we will not allow ourselves to be dragged into any controversy.”
He insisted that the party remained a veritable alternative for the APC and PDP and said any alliance with any of the parties ahead of the election would be based on equal partnership.
(Daily Trust)