The National Executive Committee of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has expelled its 2023 presidential candidate and national leader, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
OsunDailyNG reports that the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.
According to Abdulrasaq, Kwankwaso, the former Governor of Kano State, was expelled from the NNPP following his alleged refusal to appear before the partyโs Disciplinary Committee.
Recall that the partyโs Board of Trustees (BoT) had earlier suspended Kwankwaso over gross anti-party activities and mismanagement of the party at the National Convention held on August 29 in Lagos.
Following the suspension, the partyโs National Executive Council (NEC) set up a Disciplinary Committee and directed it to invite Kwankwaso to defend the allegations against him.
The NEC had warned that failure to appear before the Disciplinary Committee, Kwankwaso would be expelled from the party in line with the provisions of the partyโs constitution 2022 (as amended).
Consequently, Abdulrasaq stated that the NEC met in an emergency session last week Friday andย expelled Kwankwaso with immediate effect because of his refusal to honour the committeeโs invitations.
He said: โThe NEC met in an emergency session on Friday, Sept 1. and resolved as follows:
โFollowing the refusal of Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to appear before the disciplinary committee, which sat on Thursday, Aug. 31, after being duly invited in writing, he is hereby expelled from NNPP with immediate effect.
โThat the erstwhile presidential candidate, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, will be reported to appropriate quarters to answer questions on financial impropriety relating to mismanagement of public funds.โ
OsunDailyNG reports that the crisis within the NNPP started when the NWC of the party loyal to Kwankwaso, announced the suspension of the NNPP founder, Boniface Aniebonam, and the National Publicity Secretary, Agbo Major.