Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) has announced that it will not field a presidential candidate in the 2027 general election, opting instead to explore possible alliances with other political parties. The decision was taken at the party's 11th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Saturday, May 30, 2026 – the final day for the submission of candidate nominations under the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Speaking after the meeting, the party's newly ratified National Chairman, Bala Mohammed Yusuf (also referred to as Bala Mohammed in some reports), declared that the NNPP would remain open to alliances and would carefully assess candidates presented by other parties before deciding where to lend its support.
“It is not having a presidential candidate that matters. Nigeria is currently facing serious challenges. We need to see whether other parties will present a credible, competent and focused presidential candidate,” Yusuf told party leaders and delegates at the meeting. “We are not going to have a 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 NEC meeting was convened to ratify candidates selected through the consensus method adopted by the party in line with the Electoral Act, 2026. The party has ratified candidates for other elective positions, including governorship, National Assembly, and State Assembly seats, but has chosen to leave the presidential slot vacant.
Yusuf also dismissed speculation that the NNPP had already entered into a secret pact with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) or any other political party. “For now, we do not have a pact with anybody, including the ADC. We want to see the candidates other parties produce as their authentic presidential flag‑bearers. Then we will work towards that,” he said. Asked whether the NNPP was positioning itself to support a possible Peter Obi–Rabiu Kwankwaso ticket under another platform, Yusuf said such assumptions were premature. “That is some people’s belief. But we as a party are taking this stance because I think there are over 20 political parties that are registered under INEC. And all of us cannot field candidates just for the sake of it,” he stated.
The NEC meeting also ratified the appointment of Yusuf as the Acting National Chairman, following the resignation of the party’s former chairman, Dr. Ajuji Ahmed, who recently defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The party also ratified the appointment of acting state chairmen for Ogun, Delta, Nasarawa, and Cross River states. The meeting was attended by members of the National Working Committee, state chairmen, party leaders, officials of INEC, security agencies, and members of the media.
The decision to step back from the presidential race comes against the backdrop of a devastating wave of defections that has stripped the NNPP of many of its leading figures. The party’s National Secretary, Dipo Olayoku, lamented that the party had endured one of the most difficult periods in its history over the past three years. In the past six months alone, the NNPP has lost its former National Leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; its only elected governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State; virtually all of the governor’s political appointees; and several elected lawmakers to defections. Many of these defectors have joined either the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Kwankwaso, who was the NNPP’s presidential candidate in 2023, has since joined the NDC and is now a key figure in the emerging opposition coalition.
“The past three years have not been easy for this party. All our elected members and appointees in government, which we laboured to bring into office, have left in the name of political realignment,” Olayoku told the NEC meeting. He acknowledged that the party had faced significant setbacks, including the defection of many elected officials and appointees who emerged under its platform. Despite the challenges, he urged party members not to be discouraged and to work towards securing stronger electoral outcomes in 2027.
Yusuf explained that the absence of a candidate of similar stature to Kwankwaso within the party informed the decision not to nominate a presidential contender. “As of 2023, the presidential candidate we fielded was the most qualified and most credible candidate in Nigeria. But he has left our party and joined the NDC. We wish him all the best,” he said. He added that the party would instead focus on rebuilding its structures and supporting a credible candidate from another opposition platform who can address Nigeria’s multifaceted challenges.
With the NNPP stepping aside from the presidential race, the party joins a growing number of smaller opposition groups that are prioritising coalition building over fielding their own candidates. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have also been engaged in discussions about forming a united front against the ruling APC. In April 2026, major opposition parties adopted the “Ibadan Declaration,” agreeing to work towards presenting a single consensus candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
The NNPP’s decision to forgo a presidential candidate of its own is a pragmatic acknowledgment of its diminished stature following the departure of Kwankwaso and other key figures. But it also represents a strategic bet: that by throwing its weight behind a credible opposition candidate, the party can retain relevance in the national conversation and possibly negotiate a share of power in a post‑2027 dispensation. For now, the party that briefly looked like a northern powerhouse has ceded the presidency, choosing instead to watch from the wings as the other opposition giants position themselves for the main event.
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