The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has revealed the suspension of it’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso for six months.
The party Board of Trustees (BOT) made this known on Tuesday at a General Assembly Meeting, disclosing that the party’s Founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam has also resigned as BOT Chairman.
These decisions were part of resolutions drawn from a 12-hour meeting in Lagos on Monday as Kwankwaso was accused of short-changing the party by holding unapproved meetings with presidential aspirants of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and Labour Party (LP) amid the 2023 polls.
According to the resolutions, adopted by Hon. Adeyemi Olusoja, Ogun State’s Yewa South Local Government Chairman and seconded by Mr. Abdullahi Nasamy, NNPP Kwara State Secretary, Kwankwaso will no longer be recognized as a national leader of the party following his suspension.
NNPP’s BOT, however, reversed the suspension of dismissed national officers as well as dissolved state chapters by the National Working Committee (NWC), denouncing the NWC labeled ‘incompetent’ and describing the actions as irrelevant.
The communique also noted that NNPP constitution has been amended severally without recourse to due process and procedure by a clique of individuals within the system, adding that the party’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been infringed upon and violated by NWC members.
“BOT decided that material evidence in the public sector affirmed that Senator Kwankwaso was involved in anti-party activities in various meetings, suggest political discussions with Mr. President, Atiku and Obi without authorization from the board, has earned him 6 months suspension pending the outcome of investigation by the Disciplinary Committee.”
“About 8 states Chapters of the old NNPP was unceremoniously dissolved by the incompetent NWC. The letters of reinstatement of the suspended executive Chairmen of the various states issued by the Chairman 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 Eng Babayo Muhammed Abdulahi as new BOT Secretary, while High Chief Tony Obioha was elected as BoT spokesperson.”
“BOT members take strong exception to Buba Galadima’s parading of himself as BOT Secretary. This conduct is in violation of the composition of the members of the BOT in accordance with our constitution.”
“The 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,” the communique stated.
Meanwhile, the BoT appointed new national officers headed by Dr. Agto Major as acting National Chairman and Comrade Ogini Olapos as acting National Secretary with about 18 others inaugurated today.
“Constitutionally, the nomenclature, the national leader is not in existence for a failed Presidential candidate, so the board moved that no more Engr. Rablu Kwankwaso referenced an National Leader. Ditto state leader.”
“The purported suspension of the Founder was a flagrant gross violation of the NNPP constitution such that it is tantamount to recklessness and irresponsibility on the part of the incompetent NWC.”
“Our Abuja office remains plot 511, Herbert Marcaulay Way, Suite A1 to A3, Willian’s Plaza, Zone 4, Wuse, Abuja.”
“The BOT insisted that the avoidable violation of MOU between NNPP on the one part and Kwankwasla, 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 invalid,” the communique read.
