The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) yesterday dismissed the claims that its National Leader Rabiu Kwakwanso overreached himself in his purported negotiations to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement, said the former Kano State governor never entered into any negotiations with the ruling party. The opposition party said: “It’s regrettable that such lies are not only being orchestrated by some individuals, purportedly sounding authoritative, but unfortunately, also published as lead stories in major newspapers.”

It added: “We wish to state categorically and for the record that at no time did Rabiu Kwankwaso have any meeting with President Bola Tinubu or any of his proxies either in the APC or otherwise where issues of defection were discussed.” The NNPP further said: “It was all hogwash, as nothing like that ever took place.

“It could be assumed that the story was sponsored to discredit Kwankwaso. But they have failed in this monstrous campaign of calumny.

“This is the truth and nothing but the truth and to this extent, we call on Nigerians to disregard such media orchestrations either as news stories or those peddling the misleading information in their articles and columns. It’s all a hatchet job to tarnish Kwankwaso’s reputation but these mischief makers have failed woefully.”