The crisis rocking the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) got messier yesterday when members of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the party met in Lagos and suspended the party’s presidential candidate in the last general election, Alhaji Musa Kwankwaso, for six months for anti-party activities.
The NNPP BoT also sacked the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and elected new executives to lead the party in acting capacity.
It was a gale of suspensions and expulsions as the faction of the party led by a group loyal to Kwankwaso, in turn, expelled the founding members of the party, including the BoT chairman, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, and the national publicity secretary, Dr Agbo Major.
Reading the communiqué of the BoT meeting at the party general Assembly meeting held in Lagos, the BoT members stated that their meeting which started on Monday ended in the early hours of Tuesday.
The BoT secretary, Alhaji Babayo Abdulai, who read the communiqué, said Kwankwaso had been banned from parading himself as the national or state leader of the party, because his recent actions were demeaning to the image of the party
According to the BoT, “Constitutionally, the nomenclature, the national leader, is not in existence for a failed presidential candidate, so the board moved that no more should Engr. Rabiu Kwankwaso be referenced as national leader. Ditto state leader.
“BoT decided that material evidence in the public space affirmed that Senator Kwankwaso was involved in anti-party activities in various meetings that suggest political discussions with Mr. President, Atiku and Obi without authorisation from the board has earned him six months suspension pending the outcome of investigation by the Disciplinary Committee.”
The BoT also frowned at the purported suspension of the founder of the party, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, describing the action of the party NWC as 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 communiqué reads in part, “NWC was declared incompetent and due to attrition and failure of the members to follow the constitution and due process in filling of the vacant positions, the NWC can no longer perform its role and is no longer relevant in the eyes of the law.’’
It would be recalled that the NWC, in a statement signed by the acting national chairman of the party, Mallam Abba Kawu Alli, and the national auditor, Oladipo Johnson, earlier in the month stated that they had suspended founder of the party, Aniebonam, and the party national publicity secretary, Dr. Agbo Major, with immediate effect for anti-party activities following the outcome of investigation of allegations against them
The BoT members also took strong exception to Buba Galadima parading himself as BoT secretary.
“This conduct is in violation of the composition of the members of the BoT in accordance with our constitution.
“The letters of reinstatement of the suspended executive chairmen of the various states issued by the chairman of BoT in accordance with the Board’s inherent power to call to order stands valid.
“The BoT chairman Dr. Boniface Aniebonam resigned and a new BoT chairman, Dr. Chief Tope Aluko, was elected with Engr. Babayo Muhammed Abdulahi as new BoT secretary, while High Chief Tony Obioha was elected as BoT spokesperson,” the communique read.
The motion to adopt the resolution of the BoT was moved by Olusoji Adeyemi and seconded by Abdulai Nasamu. The oath of office was, however, administered to the newly elected officers of the NWC by Barrister Henry Abiola.
In his inaugural speech, the newly elected party acting national chairman, Agbo Gilbert Major, sought the cooperation of all members of the party to move it forward and be able to serve the interest of Nigerians in line with the objective of the founder of the party,
“The party is now calling on founding members of the party, who left the party in anger to return to the party. We will move around the country to appeal to them to come back into the party fold. They should come back into the family, family is about people and that is what makes progress.
“We don’t intend to shut people out. NNPP is the only political party that has a manifesto and has the interest of Nigerians at heart. It is concerned about their welfare,” he said.
Others elected are Comrade Olaposi Oginni, secretary, Hajia Rakia Women leader, Mark Usman, national vice chairman, North East, Adebanjo Wasiu, national vice chairman, South West, Abdulai Rasaq Abddulsalam, national publicity secretary, and Babayaro Mohammed, national organising secretary.
Kwankwaso’s Led NNPP Expels BoT Chairman, Publicity Secretary, others.
… I took over empty treasury – Kano Gov
Meanwhile, the NNPP faction loyal to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has expelled the founding members of the party, Dr Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam and the national publicity secretary, Dr Agbo Major.
Both Aniebonam and Agbo were suspended from the party last week, however, the group also held their national executive council (NEC) meeting in Lagos on Tuesday and suspended their presidential candidate, Kwankwaso.
Others expelled by the Kwankwaso-led group include Tony Christopher, Hajiya Rakiya, Mark Usman, Umar Jibrin, Umar Danbusa, Barr Abiola, Alhaji Ibrahim Yahaya, Chief Sunday Chukwuemeka, and Jonathan Chineme amongst others.
The NNPP group loyal to Kwankwaso said the action followed the forming of a parallel National Executive Committee (NEC).
Speaking at its NEC meeting held in Abuja, the acting national chairman of the party, Abba Kawu Alli said even though the party is undergoing reorganisation, the suspension became necessary in order to move the party forward.
Those who attended the NEC meeting by the Kwankwaso led group are the vice presidential candidate of the party, Bishop Isaac Idahosa; Kano governor, Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf; Sen Sumaila Kawu, Buba Galadima, and Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Jibrin Falgore, Hon Mailantarki among others.
The NNPP national chairman urged their state chairmen to be up and doing, adding that the disciplinary committee is still working even though some other members of their party are holding their NEC in Lagos.
The national secretary of the NNPP, Dipo Olayoku, said for the first time in the history of their party, they are having elected members in their midst.
He said the exercise was not meant to witch-hunt anybody adding those expelled were engaged in anti-party activities.
Olayoku said NNPP will come out stronger and will participate in the elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States.
He said they are in the process of setting up the BoT which he said they did not have for many years.
Speaking, Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf said he inherited an empty treasury.
Abba, who said NNPP is the leading opposition party in Nigeria, added that in the 2023 general elections, they were the first to take the names of their candidates in the 36 states and FCT to INEC.
“I am duty bound to inform this important gathering about some of our achievements since we assumed office in May 2023.
“We did not meet a single Kobo in the account of the Kano State Government when we took over. The government of Kano State owed a bank N9,800 because the account was negative.
“The civil servants were not paid on time and you see deductions. Pensioners were owed and deductions were made on their money from 10 – 15 percent. Many left school, especially girls. Kano was in total darkness.
“Immediately we took over, we started the rehabilitation of all the street lights and traffic lights that were abandoned. Today, we have rehabilitated them and almost 80 percent are done now.
“Because of the withdrawal of fuel subsidy, many governments find it difficult but the NNPP government paid the school fees of 54,000 students in Kano and we had a meeting with some institutions because we want to come up with a policy that will ensure that 50 percent of the school fees in Kano is reduced,” Abba said.
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