Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Rabiu Kwankwaso has said his party could not form an alliance with Peter Obi’s Labour Party because of the “media hype” that captivated Labour politicians for the most part of 2022.

Labour’s popularity and acceptance, especially among Nigerian youth on social media, grew rapidly following Mr Obi’s emergence as its presidential candidate after he resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in May 2022. 

“On Labour Party, I was initially interested in working with them, but at that time, they were at peak of the media hype and we couldn’t reach a compromise. Our party (NNPP) is a National Party, and we’re commanding the support of the masses,” Mr Kwankwaso wrote on his Twitter account. 

It is not immediately clear whether Mr Kwankwaso and his party are still open to forming an alliance with the Labour party but the last has not been seen of political permutations and alliances ahead of next month’s polls.

A spokesman for Labour did not immediately return a request seeking comments about Mr Kwankwaso’s comment. Mr Obi has emphasised his party’s readiness to form a crucial alliance towards defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress at the ballot next month.

Recently, the Balarabe Musa faction of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) collapsed its structures into the Omoyele Sowore-led African Action Congress (AAC) in an alliance that presents a socialist ideology alternative to Nigeria’s current crop of rulers.