The South West Secretary of New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Dr Babatunde Oke, has declared that party membership is an internal affair of political parties.
Oke, who spoke on Sunday, insisted that the Court of Appeal has no right to determine who is a member of any political party in the country.
DAILY POST recalls that the Court of Appeal had on Friday ruled that Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf is not a member of the NNPP. The court in its judgement held that Yusuf was not qualified to contest the election, because he is not a member of NNPP. https://dailypost.ng/2023/11/17/appeal-court-sacks-kano-governor/
Oke, while reacting to the judgement in a statement on Sunday, stressed that the Appeal Court and the Kano State chapter of All Progressives Congress have no right to determine who is a member of the NNPP.
He advised the court and the APC not to dabble into the internal affairs of the party.
The NNPP chieftain in the statement argued that political parties have supremacy over their affairs.
He added that in the documents signed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the name of the governor was clearly shown on Number 56209 of the NNPP members register.
He said, “The issue of membership of a political party is a party affairs and it’s outside the purview of Court’s jurisdiction. It is a matter which only political party can decide. To inquire into such would amount to a Court poking into the internal or domestic affairs of the party.
“In the Case of Tinubu vs Obi, same Court ruled that the candidate’s membership is a Party affairs. In the case of Abba vs Gawuna, same Court ruled that it has jurisdiction to interfere in the party’s membership. Same country, same Court, same judges but different judgement, this is surprising. APC should not destroy the judiciary”.
“Our national Secretary, Dipo Olayoku on June 23, 2023 requested true certified copy of Kano membership registration that was submitted to the INEC before the election.
“The letter which was addressed to the Secretary, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Zambezi Crescent, Maitama, Abuja, tittled: Request for certified true copy of updated NNPP membership register submitted to the commission.
“We agree to take charge of all due fees, while awaiting your quick action, please accept our best regards. And the copy was presented to us after the statutory payment of eleven thousand one hundred and sixty one naira, twenty-five kobo (N11,161. 25k) was paid to the INEC. And the name of Kano state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf was clearly shown on 56209 of the NNPP members registration.”
