The Board of Trustees of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has taken the decision to suspend Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who was the party’s presidential candidate in the February 25th election. The suspension was initiated on the grounds of alleged anti-party activities. Alongside this, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party has also been suspended.
As a consequence of these actions, the board has appointed new national officers to fulfill leadership roles within the party. Dr. Agbo Major has been designated as the acting National Chairman, while Mr. Ogini Olaposi will serve as the acting National Secretary, supported by a group of 18 others. The suspension terms have been set at six months.
These decisions were reached following a voice vote by party members during a special general assembly held at Rockview Hotels in Apapa, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
In recent developments, the NWC had previously suspended the party’s founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, and the National Publicity Secretary, Major.
Addressing the press after the meeting in Lagos on Tuesday, Babayo Muhammed Abdulahi, the Secretary of the BoT, accused Kwankwaso of unauthorized interactions with President Bola Tinubu, the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
Abdulahi further announced that Kwankwaso has been divested of his status as the national leader of NNPP by the board. He clarified that the purported suspension of the NNPP founder was a flagrant violation of the party’s constitution.
He also mentioned that Dr. Boniface Aniebonam had resigned as the BoT chairman, leading to the election of Dr. Chief Tope Aluko as the new BoT Chairman, with Abdulahi taking on the role of BoT Secretary. High Chief Tony Obioha was elected as BoT spokesperson.
Abdulahi highlighted that the pre-election Memorandum of Understanding that was signed with Kwankwasia Movement, The National Movement, and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders had been invalidated due to the actions taken by the NWC.
Abdulahi said: “The purported suspension of the founder is a flagrant gross violation of the NNPP constitution such that it is tantamount to recklessness and irresponsibility on the part of the incompetent NWC.
“The BoT decided that material evidence in the public sector affirmed that Kwankwaso was involved in anti-party activities in various meetings, suggest political discussions with the President, Atiku and Obi without authorisation from the board.
” This has earned him six months suspension pending the outcome of investigation by the Disciplinary Committee.
“The BOT insisted that the avoidable violation of MoU between NNPP on the one part and Kwankwasia, 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 void.”
Also speaking, the acting chairman said his team would hit the ground running by healing the wounds created by the suspended NWC members.
Major said the party would remain the most ordinary friendly party in the country and urged other members that are displaced for one reason or the other to return to its fold.
“We don’t intend to shut anybody out or censor anybody but we want to ensure that we remain on track and maintain our people oriented ideology,” he said.
NAN reports that the special general assembly meeting was attended by the new NWC and members from across the country.
