NNPP in deeper crisis as rival factions expel Kwankwaso, Aniebonam, others

byNews Desk29/08/2023, 9:23 pm13 Views0 Comments

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The opposition New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), is currently enmeshed in a destructive crisis as the party on Tuesday, evolved in two disagreeing and rival factions.

While one of the factions is loyal to the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the other has pledged loyalty to the founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), of the party, Bartholomew Aniebonam

The two factions however held seperate meetings in Abuja and Lagos, where they all rose to announce expulsion and counter expulsion of members

While the Abuja group loyal to Kwankwaso had it’s National Executive Council (NEC), in a voice vote, ratified the expulsion of Aniebonam and the National Publicly Secretary, Agbo Major, the Aniebonam led group at it’s BoT meeting which was held at Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos announced the suspension of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso over what the BoT described as anti-party activities

The Kwankwaso group also announced the expulsion of other BoT members loyal to Aniebonam as well as nine suspended State chairmen of the party whose suspension was however overturned by the Aniebonam group

Recall that Kwankwaso was the presidential candidate of NNPP in the February 2023 presidential election and withdrew his case against the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Elections Petitions Court (PEPC).

The NNPP BoT also suspended members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

Dr Agbo Major and Mr Ogini Olaposi were appointed as acting National Chairman and Acting National Secretary, respectively.

According to the BoT, Senator Kwankwaso’s suspension is expected to last for six months.

Addressing newsmen at the end of a meeting in Lagos on Tuesday, Secretary of the BoT, Babayo Muhammed Abdulahi accused Kwankwaso of hobnobbing with President Bola Tinubu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Mr. Peter Obi, without the board’s authorization.

Abdullahi announced that Kwankwaso had been stripped of the NNPP national leader status by the board.

The secretary of the BoT said the purported suspension of the NNPP founder was a flagrant gross violation of the party’s constitution.

He pointed out 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.

Abdulahi said 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.

Abdulahi said: “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 Kwankwasiyya, 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,” he said.

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