NNPP State Chairmen Accuse Kwankwaso Of Anti-Party Activity

Chairmen and leaders of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in 10 states have called on the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to stop parading himself as national leader of the party.

A statement signed by the state chairmen, yesterday, accused the pioneer of Kwankwasiyya Movement of using the National Working Committee (NWC) to victimise members that were against his style of leadership.

The statement was signed by party chairmen and leaders from Ogun, Niger, Rivers, Katsina, Zamfara, Lagos, Oyo, Kaduna, Sokoto and Ekiti states.

The chairmen, who were purportedly suspended by the NWC over alleged anti-party activities, accused Kwankwaso of fuelling the crisis in NNPP. They described their suspension by the NWC as injustice and inherent abuse of power.

NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Major Agbo, had announced the dissolution of party executives in seven states of the federation over anti-party activities.

The states include Enugu, Ekiti, Rivers, Niger, Katsina, Kaduna and Zamfara. According to Agbo, a five-man caretaker committee was constituted to run the affairs of the party in the affected states with effect from July 28, 2023.

Irregularities in dissolution

The chairmen however, said the dissolution was an irregularity contravening the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act 2022. They argued that the real anti-party activity emanated from Kwankwaso, who was reportedly fraternising with candidates of other political parties in his desperate attempt to curry favour.

“We wonder why a disciplinary committee would sit without showing those accused of anti-party activities a copy of the petition against them. How can the committee come to a conclusion without revealing the petitioners and their status in the party?

“Again, Article 39 Subsection 6 of NNPP constitution states: ‘Where it is proposed to expel a member of the executive committee from the party, such a proposal shall be submitted to the National Executive Committee (NEC). Where then did NWC derive its power to unilaterally expel the chairman of Ogun, Oginni Sunday? Isn’t this gross violation of Article 39(6) of the NNPP constitution? Any act that violates the constitution is, to the extent of its inconsistency, null and void,” they added.

They however, called on the Founder/Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of NNPP, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, to wade into the matter before it degenerates into an uncontrollable crisis.

“It is our hope that the BoT chairman shall, within reasonable time, invoke Section 12.5(a) detailing functions of the BoT by ensuring highest standards of morality in all activities of the party; acting as the conscience of the party, with the power to call to order any officer whose conduct falls below the norms and return all victimised executives across the states to their official capacities,” they said.

The Guardian