The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has ruled out presenting a presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, saying its priority is building a united opposition front.
Bala Yusuf, NNPP’s national chairman, announced the party’s decision on Saturday at the 11th national executive committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, where delegates ratified the outcomes of recent primaries in line with the Electoral Act, 2026.
The meeting also coincided with the deadline for parties to submit candidate nominations as stipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“For now, this is the last day for the submission of anything that has to do with the selection of candidates by the INEC guidelines,” Yusuf said.
“We are not going to have any presidential candidate in our party, but we are open to an alliance.
“It’s not for us to have a presidential candidate that matters. Nigeria is in a very difficult situation. We need to see if other parties will bring out a very good, credible and well-focused presidential candidate.
“I don’t think there will be any problem joining forces with them to have a good presidential candidate.”
The party chairman also debunked reports of ongoing alliances with political groups, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Yusuf said the NNPP would carefully assess candidates presented by other political parties before deciding where to lend its support.
The NNPP’s decision to not field a presidential candidate comes months after a wave of defections by key party members, including Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former national leader; Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano; and several other elected officials and appointees.
In 2022, the party fielded Kwankwaso as its presidential candidate.
