Defection Rumours: Kwankwasiyya Clears Air on Kwankwaso, APC Talks

Defection Rumours: Kwankwasiyya Clears Air on Kwankwaso, APC Talks

  • The Kwankwasiyya Movement dismissed reports claiming Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso held talks with the APC over a possible defection
  • The group said Kwankwaso never negotiated with the APC, President Bola Tinubu, or any intermediary, despite the party’s open-door comment
  • Kwankwasiyya warned against unverified political narratives, describing the reports as misleading and aimed at discrediting its leader

Legit.ng Journalist Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award winner, with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance and accountability in Nigeria.

The Kwankwasiyya Movement has reacted to recent comments by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), suggesting openness to welcoming Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso into the ruling party, firmly dismissing reports that its leader is engaged in any form of defection talks.

The response followed remarks by APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, who said the ruling party’s doors remained open to Kwankwaso amid ongoing political realignments, especially in Kano State.

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Kwankwasiyya reacts to APC call, denies Kwankwaso defection talks.
The Kwankwasiyya Movement has responded to the APC’s call for Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to join the ruling party. Photo credit: Hon Saifullahi Hassan
Source: Facebook

In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its spokesperson, Dr Habibu Sale Mohammed, the Kwankwasiyya Movement described claims of negotiations between Kwankwaso and the APC as speculative, false and deliberately misleading.

The group was reacting to reports which emerged after Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, defected to the APC.

Some of the reports alleged that discussions between the APC and Kwankwaso collapsed after the former NNPP presidential candidate allegedly made excessive demands to rejoin the ruling party.

Movement denies talks with APC

However, the Movement categorically denied those claims, insisting that no such engagement ever took place.

According to the statement, Kwankwaso “has never at any time entered into discussions or negotiations with the APC, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, or any intermediary” for the purpose of defecting to the ruling party.

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Kano defection: APC sends important message to Kwankwaso amid calls to join ruling party

“We state clearly, categorically, and without any ambiguity that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has never engaged in negotiations, discussions, or meetings with the APC for defection. These claims are entirely false and baseless,” the statement read.

The Movement expressed concern over what it described as the growing spread of unverified reports and televised commentaries suggesting that Kwankwaso made demands to defect, warning that such narratives could mislead the public and unfairly damage reputations.

It also urged journalists and media organisations to adhere strictly to professional standards by relying on verifiable facts and credible sources rather than speculation or political gossip.

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Kwankwaso meets Tinubu

Clarifying the timeline, the group noted that the last formal meeting between Senator Kwankwaso and President Tinubu took place in January 2024, stressing that no discussion relating to defection, political bargaining or party alignment occurred during that meeting.

“Claims that Senator Kwankwaso made high demands or overreached himself are fabrications built on imaginary negotiations that never occurred,” the Movement added.

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The statement further explained that Kwankwaso’s interactions with political leaders across party lines were normal in a democratic setting and should not be twisted into false political narratives without a factual basis.

Kwankwasiyya responds to APC move, insists Kwankwaso never negotiated defection
The Kwankwasiyya Movement dismissed reports claiming Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso held talks with the APC over a possible defection. Photo: @KwankwasoRM
Source: Twitter

It also alleged that the reports formed part of a coordinated attempt by some political actors to discredit Kwankwaso ahead of future political realignments and weaken his political relevance.

Kwankwaso is disciplined

Reaffirming its leader’s stance, the Kwankwasiyya Movement described Kwankwaso as a disciplined and principled politician whose strength, it said, derived from grassroots support rather than elite consensus.

Read also

Kano: Deal breakers that made APC dumps Kwankwaso emerge

The group called on Nigerians to disregard what it termed misleading reports, insisting that the situation remained unchanged.

“There were no negotiations. There were no demands. There was no discussion of defection,” the Movement stated.

APC sends important message to Kwankwaso

Legit.ng earlier reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it remains open to welcoming former Kano State governor and ex-presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso, amid ongoing political realignments.

The National Chairman of the APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, made this known while reacting to speculations surrounding Kano politics and recent defections involving key political figures in the state.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Muslim Muhammad Yusuf avatar

Muslim Muhammad Yusuf (Current affairs and politics editor) Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is the 2025 winner for the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR); 1st Runner-up, CJID's Best in Community Reporting Award (2025). He is an Investigative Journalist and Fact-Checker with over 8 years of experience. He is the Politics and Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. Muslim investigated stories around human rights, accountability and social issues. He has years of broadcasting skills and Fellow at Thompson Reuters Foundation (TRF), CJID, HumAngle and Daily Trust Foundation. Email: muslim.yusuf@corp.legit.ng