Irked by alleged Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s hobnobbing with President Bola Tinubu, the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has suspended the presidential candidate in the last election.
The party’s BoT also accused Kwankwaso of anti-party activities with 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 authorisation.
The board also strips Kwankwaso of the title as the NNPP’s national and state leader, respectively.
It equally dissolved the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), and constituted a new one led by Dr. Agbo Major as the acting National Chairman, Comrade Ogini Olaposi as the acting National Secretary, and 18 other national officers.
The former NWC was dissolved for incompetence and failure of its members to follow the constitution and due process in filling the vacant positions.
The board also described as flagrant violation of the party’s constitution, the purported suspension of the Founder, Chief Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam, saying it amounted to recklessness and irresponsibility on the part of the incompetent NWC.
“The BoT Chairman Dr. Boniface Aniebonam resigned and a new BoT Chairman, Chief Tope Aluko was elected with Babayo Muhammed Abdulahi as new BOT Secretary, while High Chief Tony Obioha was elected as BoT spokesperson,” the board stated.
Part of the communique signed by the BoT’s Chairman, Temitope Aluko, and ratified by members at the party’s general assembly meeting on Tuesday in Apapa, Lagos, read:
“NNPP constitution has been amended severally without following due process and procedure by a clique of individuals within the system.
“The MoU document has been infringed upon and violated by the NWC members.
“About eight states chapters of the old NNPP were unceremoniously dissolved by the incompetent NWC.
“The letters of reinstatement of the suspended executive chairmen of the various states issued by the BoT chairman in accordance with the Board’s inherent power to call to order, stands valid.”
The board also warned Alhaji Buba Galadima to stop parading himself as the BoT’s Secretary, describing his conduct as a violation of the composition of the members of the BoT in accordance with the party’s constitution.
The former NWC was dissolved due to incompetence and failure of the members to follow the constitution and due process in filling the vacant positions.
While stressing that its Abuja office remains at plot 511, Herbert Marcaulay Way, Suite A1 to A3, Willian’s Plaza, Zone 4, Wuse, Abuja, the Board said the party had also withdrawn its earlier partnership with the Kwankwasia, The National Movement (TNM) and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF).
In his acceptance speech after the NWC was inaugurated, the acting National Chairman, Dr. Major promised that the new NWC under his leadership would not disappoint the Board and Nigerians.
He said: “We will extend the olive branch to all aggrieved members. We want them back in the party. We won’t shut anybody out. We want to prove to Nigerians that NNPP remains the party with the most people-friendly manifestoes in Nigeria.”