The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has distanced itself from the alleged suspension of its national leader, Rabiu Kwankwanso.
NNPP, through its national auditor, Johnson Oladipo, in a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday, August 30, noted that the allegation is a joke taken too far.
According to Oladipo, those who announced the suspension and accused Kwankwaso of anti-party activities were no longer party members.
He added that it was laughable that the former national publicity secretary, who announced the expulsion of some state chairmen of the party, suddenly recognised the same persons as members.
Oladipo dismissed allegations of anti-party activities against Kwankwanso, saying that as a responsible party leader and politician, they were bound to listen to the government when they announced that they wanted to form a national unity government.
He said: “Each time Kwankwanso was invited by this president, either before his inauguration or after, he has always taken permission from the national caucus, and after such meetings, he will come back to brief the caucus of what transpired.
“There was no agreement reached, and there was no consensus. If there had been some agreements, maybe Dr. Agbo Major would have been the Minister of Information today.
“Secondly, there have been reports before the elect that Peter Obi and Kwankwanso met. It was the leaders of our party and that of the Labour Party that met”.
He disclosed that following the coming into the party of the Kwankwanso-led Nigeria Movement in February 2022, all organs of the party were dissolved, including the Board of Trustees, while a caretaker committee was set up, which midwife the emergence of the leadership of the party at all levels.
He said further that the then national chairman and founder of the party, Boniface Aniebonam, was appointed a caretaker chairman of the yet-to-be-constituted Board of Trustees, alongside Buba Galadima who was to serve as the secretary pending the composition of a formal BOT.
According to him, the BOT was not formally composed due to the pressure of elections, adding that immediately after the election, there was the need to reposition the party.
He expressed regret that the former BOT Chairman, who was expelled at the National Executive Committee meeting of the party on Tuesday, was issuing letters to those suspended or removed from the party reversing their expulsion suspension.
He dismissed the insinuation of an emerging faction in the party, saying, “We don’t have any faction in the NNPP. We have only one NNPP, and if you are in doubt, go and ask the Independent National Electoral Commission.”
