The New Nigeria People’s Party has formally petitioned the United States Congress, insisting that its 2023 presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has been unfairly linked to terrorism and must be cleared of all allegations.

NNPP National Chairman, Ahmed Ajuji, disclosed the move in a televised interview, explaining that the party acted swiftly after Kwankwaso was explicitly named in a proposed US legislation targeting alleged sponsors of religious persecution and terrorism in Nigeria.

Ajuji expressed concern that Kwankwaso was the only individual identified in the document, while other entities mentioned were organisations. He questioned why the former Kano State governor was singled out, describing the development as deeply suspicious and politically charged.

He characterised the allegation as a mix of religious and political undertones, arguing that the initiative in the US Congress amounted to a “political witch-hunt” against Kwankwaso and his growing influence in Nigeria’s political landscape.

According to Ajuji, the NNPP’s letter to US lawmakers sets out a detailed defence of Kwankwaso, challenging any suggestion that he has supported or enabled terrorism. The party, he said, urged Congress to review the evidence objectively and reconsider his inclusion in the proposed measure.

Ajuji voiced confidence that once US legislators examine the party’s submission, they will recognise that Kwankwaso has been wrongly profiled. He stressed that the former governor’s public record contradicts any extremist narrative.

He pointed to Kwankwaso’s two-term stewardship in Kano State, highlighting policies and programmes that, according to him, promoted religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Ajuji maintained that these efforts are well documented and accessible to both Nigerian and international observers.

The controversy stems from a bill introduced in the US House of Representatives, the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act, sponsored by lawmakers who argue that Washington must respond more robustly to alleged human rights abuses and religious persecution in Nigeria. The draft legislation proposes increased scrutiny, sanctions and other measures targeting individuals and groups accused of enabling violence, including Fulani militias and Kwankwaso.

In defending its presidential candidate, the NNPP is seeking not only to protect Kwankwaso’s reputation but also to challenge what it sees as a dangerous precedent of foreign legislative bodies passing judgment on Nigerian political actors without, in its view, a balanced assessment of facts on the ground.