The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has debunked a media report that its presidential candidate, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, will be the running mate of Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the 2023 general election.

NNPP described the report titled, ‘NNPP-LP alliance: ‘Kwankwaso can deputise Obi’, as misleading and embarrassing to the party and Kwankwaso.

The party further stated that the report was figment of the reporter’s imagination.

It made this known via a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr Agbo Major, on Sunday.

The statement read: “The attention of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has been drawn to a Daily Trust report titled, “NNPP-LP alliance: ‘Kwankwaso can deputise Obi’”, published on Sunday, June 19, 2022, and dismisses it as false and figment of the reporter’s imagination.

“NNPP has never at any time said its esteemed Presidential Candidate, His Excellency,  Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, could accept to be Labour Party, Peter Obi’s deputy.

“The report is misleading and embarrassing to our great party, its Presidential Candidate, Kwankwaso and millions of supporters in Nigeria and in the diaspora, and we urge journalists to crosscheck their reports before publishing them to avoid national disaffection ahead of the crucial 2023 general election.

READ ALSO: Kwankwaso: NNPP in talks with Peter Obi

“As a mass movement, NNPP acknowledged alliance talks with Labour Party that would consolidate and boost the nation’s frail democracy as we collectively strive for a new Nigeria which the party champions.

“The Sunday Trust newspaper correctly stated in its report; “Asked to verify the proposed alliance, Major (Agbo) said talks were still ongoing and he wouldn’t want to speculate.” If the party ‘s National Publicity Secretary, Dr Agbo Major had said “talks were ongoing and he wouldn’t want to speculate,” how did the newspaper arrive at Kwankwaso can deputise Obi?”

It would be recalled that Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, said he was in talks with Obi on a possible merger ahead of the 2023 general election.

The NNPP standard bearer made the disclosure in an interview with BBC.

The Star