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Claim: A Facebook video shows Rabiu Kwankwaso wearing a cap with President Tinubu’s insignia, implying he has defected from the NNPP to the APC.
Verdict: False. Our checks reveal that the image was digitally altered, and there is no official confirmation or credible evidence to support that Kwankwaso has defected to the APC.
Full Text
In Nigerian politics, politicians’ defections from one party to another are not news. Over the years, this has become a familiar pattern, especially around election periods or when internal party wrangling gets intense.
While politicians rarely spell out their reasons for defecting, many believe these moves are often driven by the need to stay politically afloat, align with the ruling party, or escape internal party disagreements.
For example, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar left the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014, only to return to the PDP before the 2019 elections. In 2021, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State also dumped the PDP for the APC. This was widely seen as a strategic move to gain access to federal power and support.
Given this, a Facebook user, @All Civil Servants in Nigeria, shared a video showing Rabiu Kwankwaso wearing a cap that resembles the one often worn by President Bola Tinubu.
In the background, a woman’s voice provides commentary, “Mallam Rabiu Kwankwaso has just done it. He has thrown away his red Kwankwasiyya cap and adorned himself with the Asiwaju cap. He said anybody who wants to contest against Asiwaju must go to heaven first and come back. He said enough of the shenanigans. He said he will wait for Bola Tinubu to complete his four-year tenure, then return to contest in 2031. He is willing to wait four more years. This also means he has accepted to join APC.”
When we encountered the post on May 12, 2025, it had received nine likes, 16 comments, and eight shares.
While political defections are not uncommon in Nigeria, and such a move is not entirely out of the question, this claim raised eyebrows because Kwankwaso is widely known as the founder and national leader of the NNPP in its current form. This makes such a shift unexpected.
This prompted DUBAWA to investigate further to verify the authenticity of the information.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted keyword searches to find credible news reports that could explain or substantiate the claim, but found none. Instead, our search led to recent publications about Rabiu Kwankwaso, all published on May 10, 2025.
One such report, published by Daily Post Nigeria, quoted Kwankwaso as describing defection as “the greatest political sin.” In the article, he emphasised his commitment to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and criticised the habit of politicians jumping from one party to another.
He reaffirmed that defection goes against the values of discipline and consistency in politics, positioning himself as a loyal party member who prioritises ideology over personal gain. See other reports here, here, here, and here.
We subjected the image in the video to a reverse image search, and it led to visually similar results showing Kwankwaso wearing the signature red cap he is known for, often associated with the Kwankwasiyya movement. Further checks revealed that the original image was taken at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu State, where party members welcomed Kwankwaso. The authentic version of the photo was first shared on the official Facebook page of the NNPP on Nov. 8, 2022.
We also ran the image through InVid’s forensic feature, revealing clear manipulation signs. The analysis showed that elements had either been added or removed (in this case, the cap was digitally inserted).
The edited version of the image had already surfaced on Facebook in 2024, where it was quickly flagged and debunked by Kwankwaso’s supporters.
Conclusion
DUBAWA’s findings show that the image used in the video was digitally altered to falsely suggest Kwankwaso’s defection to the APC. The original photo, shared in 2022, shows him wearing his signature red Kwankwasiyya cap. Therefore, the claim is false.
