NNPP crisis deepens as party suspends Kwankwaso over romance with Tinubu, Obi, Atiku
…BOT strips Kwankwaso of N’leader status, suspends NWC
…Kwankwaso loyalists hold parallel meeting, reverse suspension
By Moses Adeniyi
Crisis within the ranks of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has assumed a windy dimension as the Board of Trustees (BoT) the NNPP, on Tuesday, suspended its candidate in the February, 25 Presidential election, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and one other member over alleged anti-party activities.
The suspension, according to the BoT, is to take effect for a period of six months in the first instanc, pending ongoing investigation.
The BoT, announced the suspension at a media briefing in Lagos, while also suspending the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Recall that the NWC of the party had last Thursday, Aug. 24, announced the suspension of the founder of the party, Dr Boniface Aniebonam and the National Publicity Secretary, Major.
The BoT, also appointed new national officers headed by Dr Agbo Major as acting National Chairman and Mr Ogini Olaposi as acting National Secretary with 18 others.
The suspensions were put to a voice vote by members of the party at its special general assembly, held in Apapa, Lagos.
Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting in Lagos, Secretary of the BoT, Babayo Abdulahi, accused Kwankwaso of hobnobbing with President Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, without the board’s authorisation.
Abdullahi announced that Kwankwaso had been stripped of the NNPP national leader status by the board.
The secretary of the BoT maintained that the purported suspension of the NNPP founder was a flagrant gross violation of the party’s constitution.
Abdulahi said that Aniebonam had resigned as the BoT chairman and a new BoT Chairman, Dr. Chief Tope Aluko was elected with Abdulahi as new BoT Secretary, while High Chief Tony Obioha was elected as BoT spokesperson
He added that the pre-election Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Kwankwasia Movement, The National Movement (TNM) and National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), had been rendered void by the actions of the NWC.
“The purported suspension of the founder is a flagrant gross violation of the NNPP constitution such that it is tantamount to recklessness and irresponsibility on the part of the incompetent NWC.
“The BoT decided that material evidence in the public sector affirmed that Kwankwaso was involved in anti-party activities in various meetings, suggest political discussions with the President, Atiku and Obi without authorisation from the board.
“This has earned him six months suspension pending the outcome of investigation by the Disciplinary Committee.
“The BOT insisted that the avoidable violation of MoU between NNPP on the one part and Kwankwasia, TNM and NAGAFF on the other has no other choice than to withdraw from the partnership.
“It is therefore to state clearly that the MoU have been rendered void.”
Also speaking, the acting chairman said his team would hit the ground running by healing the wounds created by the suspended NWC members.
“The party will remain the most ordinary friendly party in the country, we urge other members that are displaced for one reason or the other to return to our fold.
“We don’t intend to shut anybody out or censor anybody but we want to ensure that we remain on track and maintain our people oriented ideology,” he said.
The special general assembly meeting was attended by the new NWC and members from across the country.
Kwankwaso was the lead figure in the NNPP for the 2023 general elections, who ran for the presidential election under the party’s platform. Kwankwaso who has a very strong foothold in his home State, Kano won just the State in the presidential election, while he was said to have been the bulwark behind NNPP defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress in the March governorship election, leaving the party with just one State of the 36 in the Federation.
…Kwankwaso loyalists hold parallel meeting, reverse suspension
Reacting to the suspension of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso in Lagos, the faction of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) loyal to the Senator held a parallel meeting of the National Executive Committee in Abuja to reverse his suspension.
The faction also announced the expulsion of the new acting National Chairman of the party, Major Agbo and some notable members involved in the NNPP flag bearer’s sanction.
The move came hours after Kwankwaso was suspended by the party’s Board of Trustees for alleged anti-party activities for six months.
The National Auditor of the party, Ladipo Johnson, described Kwankwaso’s suspension as an illegitimate move.
Johnson, who claimed he was the chairman of the disciplinary committee that subsequently expelled Agbo and his loyalists at the NEC meeting in Abuja, affirmed that there was no division in the party as being speculated.
He said, “It is a fake news. Do you hold NEC meetings in the Apapa area of Lagos? Of course, it is not the proper thing to do. We held NEC in Abuja today.
“The Agbo you talked about has been expelled along with some other people. He was the one doing all this nonsense and that’s because you know him as national publicity secretary. Who made him acting chairman? Ask yourself, is that how one becomes a chairman?
“I don’t like your use of the word ‘faction.’ Is that how one creates a faction? If you come to NNPP headquarters, you will see us there.
“You will also see that Agbo’s office has been locked for over a week. And he didn’t even go to any court to say what we did was wrong. They are the judges themselves and they are the ones you should be calling a faction. That’s because they were suspended and eventually expelled from the party. Let me send you a statement on the NEC we just held.”
According to a statement by the faction which partly reads:
“At the National Executive Committee meeting of the NNPP held in Abuja today August 29, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, Agbo Major and several others were expelled from the party.
“The NEC also moved several other motions relating to the Logo of the party, the Amendment of the constitution, ratification of the State caretaker committees, and the suspension of two Articles in the constitution of the NNPP 2022.
“At the meeting were the Executive Governor of Kano State, the National Chairman, Distinguished Senator Kawu Ismaila, the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Engr Buba Galadima and many others.
“NEC noted that there were suspended (now expelled) persons who purportedly held a Board of Trustees meeting in Apapa, Lagos this morning. Naturally, their meeting was null and void and to no effect.”
