The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has called on the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Umar Ganduje to leave their leader and the presidential candidate of their party, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, alone.
According to the NNPP, Kwankwaso is far ahead of Ganduje politically, adding that he is busy building the NNPP and will not join the APC.
Speaking to journalists at the national headquarters of the NNPP, the national auditor of the party, Ladipo Johnson, said it would be diversionary for them to discuss the APC national chairman, as their focus is mainly on how to rebuild their party.
Ganduje, also a former governor of Kano State like Kwankwaso last week said he was never a political son of the NNPP presidential candidate in the recent election.
The statement was made in furtherance of the political difference between Kwankwaso and Ganduje.
Ganduje served in subordinate positions to Kwankwaso as deputy governor and chief of staff at different political offices, until 2015 when he was elected governor.
The two former governors and political associates fell apart after the 2015 general elections.
Ever since they fell apart, they have been at loggerheads in Kano State.
He said the focus of the party is to rebuild it and this would entail the discipline of members.
But speaking, NNPP national chairman Abba Kawu Ali said he was surprised that the APC could settle for a man like Ganduje.
He said there was no basis to compare Ganduje with Kwankwaso because, according to him, the latter is miles ahead and better than the new APC national chairman.
He said, “The party performed very well in the 2023 general elections given the fact that from its formation to the election proper was less than one year.
“Apart from winning seats in both the National and State Assemblies, the party also won the Governorship election in Kano state.” He added that the party is the third party in the National Assembly after the APC and the PDP,” Ali said, adding that the NWC meeting was called to take stock of its achievements and where it is supposed to be in the next coming years.
“Nine states were said to have been involved in anti-party activities, but eight were found guilty by the Disciplinary Committee. Ogun, Katsina, Delta, Zamfara, Rivers, Enugu and some others
The state’s executives especially the Chairmen have been suspended and interim leadership to run the affairs of the party before the Caretaker Committees would be set up.
“However, in the case of Ogun and Delta states, the Chairmen have been expelled and very soon we will begin to expose what they have been doing to undermine the party.”
He added that in the context of repositioning the party for service delivery to the country, some of the states affected did not even have enough members to form a leadership.
Further on his part, the National Auditor and Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, Ladipo Johnson said the party is doing well and in a very strong position, there is no issue with the party. He further added that some of the people alleged to have been writing negative things about the party are free because they are not even members of the party.
On the allegations that some members will soon take the party back, he said, “there is nothing like taking the party back because nobody has taken the party away from anyone in the first place.
“NWC will be ready to take hard and strong decisions to protect the party and that means that anyone that steps out of order would be whipped in or be shown the exit door.
“Going forward the party will be dwelling on social issues that will benefit the people of Nigeria. The party is united and as a family.”
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