2023: Many Nigerians supporting us secretly but South-East is tough, says NNPP chairman

Rufa’i Alkali, the national chairman, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), says several Nigerians have thrown their weights behind the party for the 2023 general elections but are not making themselves known publicly.

“There are people who are willing to support the NNPP, but for now, they want to keep quiet.,” he said. “They talk to us. They tell us they are there for us, but we should give them time.”

He added, “By the time these mature, things will change. If it is only when we begin  campaign and start to prepare for elections, then the picture will become clearer.” 

On NNPP’s spread in the South-East, Mr Alkali said the party was making an inroad into the region, noting that the resistance to change was the major issue in the region.

“Technically speaking, there is always resistance to change. PDP has remained strong in that region,” he said.

He also faulted assumptions that the party was small and could not go far in winning the 2023 presidential election.

Mr Alkali, a former presidential adviser on political affairs to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, said some people wrongly described NNPP as predominantly in Kano.

According to him, the party in the last four months has grown in leaps and bounds and built structure in all states of the federation.

“This is not a small party, in fact, it is the fastest growing political party in the country. We are on ground. NNPP is not a Kano affair or a northern affair,” Mr Alkali said.

The chairman said that the party was working to resolve a few crises.

(NAN)