Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State in northern Nigeria and the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has said he will not abandon his political beliefs for money or personal advantage.
He spoke in Kano shortly after reports that Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, along with several local government chairmen, some members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, and political aides, resigned from the NNPP on Friday, 23 January 2026.
Addressing supporters at his residence, Kwankwaso said his long involvement in politics has been driven by what he described as a struggle to improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians, not a search for personal rewards.
“I am not for sale,” he told the gathering, insisting that his convictions have kept him focused on the movement he leads, known as Kwankwasiyya, a long-running political platform with strong roots in Kano politics.
Okay News reports that Kwankwaso said the loyalty of his supporters has been sustained by shared values rather than financial incentives, adding that if he had been motivated by greed, he would have taken “the easy route” instead of remaining with his base.
Kwankwaso also called on his followers to begin early mobilisation ahead of Nigeria’s next general elections, scheduled for 2027, warning them not to become complacent.
Referring to the political changes unfolding in Kano, he urged supporters to start preparing immediately, saying some forces were determined to undo what he and his allies had built over time.
He ended by assuring his supporters that he would continue to stand with “ordinary people” and resist those he accused of exploiting the wider population.
