The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections, Rabiu Kwankwaso has been accused of working against the party’s interest during the last general elections.
The allegation was made by the forum of state chairmen of the party.
The NNPP state chairmen claimed that Kwakwaso was making an attempt to hijack the party structures and alleged that he was using members of the NWC to perpetrate illegalities and take unconstitutional decisions.
They also accused the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party of illegal dissolution of executive councils of the party in 10 states of the federation.
Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday, the spokesperson for the forum, Dada Olayinka Olabode who is also the Ekiti state chairman of NNPP said legal steps have been taken against Kwankwaso and the party’s NWC.
He said: “We have taken legal step to address this injustice against over 7000 members who went through congresses at the ward, local government and state levels in Ekiti state and also, about 100,000 elected officials of this party across the ten states and two other states where a clear pronouncement of expulsion has been pronounced.
“The Court in Ado Ekiti has served the party as represented by the improperly constituted NWC to appear before it on the 19th day of September, 2023. The case is before Justice Aladejana of High Court 3 of Ekiti State High Court”.
He added that “This action violated section article 2a of the constitution our party. It also fragrantly violated article 32. 1i, 39.0, 39.1i and 39.4 of the constitution of our noble party.
“The same improperly constituted NWC had made attempt twice to illegally doctor the constitution of the Party”.
Kwankwaso’s Romance With Other Parties
On the allegations of anti-party activities against Kwankwaso, Olabode accused the party’s presidential candidate of working for the then-candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is now the President of Nigeria.
According to him, this romance affected the fortunes of the NNPP at the polls as Kwankwaso attempted to take over the party’s structures for personal reasons.
“The romance as of then before the presidential election largely affected the performance of the party across board.
“The party crisis was orchestrated by an attempt by the former presidential candidate of this party, Kwakwaso to hijack structures of the party after he was challenged about his anti-party activities.
“Panels were set up without observing the disciplinary procedures as enshrined in the party constitution, those accused across the ten states were neither availed a copy of the petition purportedly written against them nor given fair hearing.
“The NWC which in itself was improperly constituted made pronouncements albeit unconstitutionally and illegally on 28 of July, saying that the party structures across ten states of Enugu, Ekiti, Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara, Rivers, and four other states have been dissolved.
“May it be known, that the NWC, having relied on the biased recommendations of the disciplinary committee which was improperly constituted and set up by them against the provisions of the party constitution made a pronouncement to dissolve state, local government, and ward executives in the ten states.
“We are here today, on behalf of these ten states to tell the whole world that having taken this illegal route to hijack party structures in the ten states, the state chairmen took a petition before the founder and chairman board of trustees of the party, Chief Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam who constitution donated expressly powers to serve as the conscience in his impartial nature looked at the petition, invited the petitioners and advised appropriately that the decisions, illegally taken be reversed and that the state chairmen, the dissolved executive committee across board be reinstated.
”We want to warn members of the public to be wary of the activities of those who proclaim themselves as democrats but who in truth are political traders traversing the length and breadth of Nigeria, playing on the intelligence of loyal party members to desist from associating with people who in the history are known to be moving from one political party to the other. You may recall that then presidential candidate of this party was a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from where he moved to APC and later made his way back to PDP late last year, he made an overture to the founder of NNPP Chief Anibulam who is a consumate, accomplished retired custom officer formed the party in 2001 and in 2022, he volunteered the political platform for the use of Engr Kwakwaso who came to NNPP from a relatively unknown The National Movement.
“Chief Aniebonam didn’t request monetary compensation from the TNM group and didn’t broker power sharing or hinder the smooth take-off of the party. He dissolved his old executives ceased to be party chairman to become BoT chairman and allowed the Kwakwaso group to take 70% of the position in the newly reconstituted NEC of the party.
“Today, it is obvious that the tenants have now turned out to chase away the landlord. But we are resolute, all the state chairmen have resolved never to allow the tenants to occupy our own house. We are not unaware of the effort being made to impose illegal caretaker committee across these states but I can assure you that we are equal to the task and we are done everything legally possible on the moral side to regain our party.
“On behalf of my colleagues and members of the party, we reaffirm our undying love and loyalty to the NNPP. Our philosophy is bringing about a new Nigeria and to make this happen, no act of impunity by anyone no matter how highly placed will be tolerated. We will not allow anybody to trade with the collective sweat of members of this great party. We will continue to defend the integrity of this party with every legitimate options,” he submitted.
The NNPP state chairmen’s forum also stated that all relationships with the party should be channeled through the BoT chairman, Chief Anibulam.
“If any political class is interested in aligning with our Party, our ideology, philosophy, they should meet with Chief Anibulam who is the father and chairman BoT of our party,” the statement added.
