The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has reacted strongly to reports that the United States Congress is considering sanctions against its national leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, describing the development as shocking and unfair.
In a press statement issued from the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday, NNPP said it received with surprise reports that a proposed U.S. legislation titled Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act 2026 (HR 7457) listed Kwankwaso among individuals recommended for targeted sanctions.
According to the reports, the bill proposes visa bans and asset freezes against the former Kano State governor over alleged involvement in “severe religious freedom violations.”
Reacting to the development, NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, dismissed the allegations, insisting that Kwankwaso has no record of involvement in religious persecution.
“We see this development as a contrived action against an innocent man who clearly has no relationship with religious fundamentalism in Nigeria,” Johnson said.
“His record is there in the public domain, either in public office or in private life, and it is advisable for people to investigate such things properly before reaching such conclusions.”
The party also questioned why Kwankwaso was singled out in the proposed legislation despite the fact that several northern Nigerian states had adopted Sharia law.
Johnson noted that months before the latest development, Kwankwaso had already reacted publicly when former U.S. President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged religious persecution.
According to the NNPP spokesman, Kwankwaso had cautioned against what he described as oversimplified interpretations of Nigeria’s security challenges.
“It is important to emphasise that our country is a sovereign nation whose people face different threats from outlaws across the country,” Johnson quoted Kwankwaso as saying at the time.
The statement also referenced comments reportedly made by U.S. Congressman Riley Moore, who questioned Kwankwaso’s role in the introduction of Sharia law in Kano State.
However, the NNPP argued that several other northern states had similarly adopted the Islamic legal code, raising questions about why only Kwankwaso was mentioned in the proposed sanctions.
The party further defended the former governor’s record, stating that during his tenure he successfully tackled extremist activities in Kano and maintained strong relationships with Christian leaders across the country.
“As governor of Kano State, Senator Kwankwaso ensured that the Boko Haram sect was wiped out of the state, and his close relationships with Christian leaders in Kano and across the country attest to his credibility as a national leader and statesman,” Johnson said.
The NNPP also highlighted Kwankwaso’s political alliances as evidence of his inclusive approach, noting that he supported the presidential bid of former Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo and later ran his 2023 presidential campaign with Christian cleric Isaac Idahosa as his running mate.
Johnson called on U.S. lawmakers, including Moore and Chris Smith, to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
“These are the facts which we believe should guide the Congress and its leaders to conduct a thorough investigation into the credibility of our leader so that justice is done and his noble name cleared of such undue embarrassment,” he added.
The party concluded by urging fairness and caution in assessing Nigeria’s complex religious and security landscape.