By Sunday Ani
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has demanded that the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, should respond to its letter to the commission on the leadership crisis in the party
The party in the letter dated April 3, 2024, asked INEC to accept and permit the Board of Trustees and Founder of the party, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, who is a life member of the board, to take charge of the party’s statutory responsibilities pending the resolution of its internal crisis.
In a copy of the letter written by Templum Solicitors and acknowledged by INEC, the party said the lingering crisis would make it difficult for it to function as a registered political party in Nigeria.
It noted that the Kwankwasiya movement under the leadership of Senator Rabiu Musa kwankwaso was not a registered political party in Nigeria, therefore, it is inappropriate on the part of INEC to allow itself to be used to perpetrate illegality.
In a statement yesterday in Lagos by Dr Aniebonam, the NNPP decried the inability of the commission to respond to the letter. “A big organisation like INEC which is charged with election matters in Nigeria should be able to run a simple administration of responding to correspondences and giving direction to matters of urgent importance.
“The letter was sent and acknowledged by INEC on April 3, 2024, and it is getting to two months now without any reply from the commission. This is unbelievable and inappropriate. The delay in response is affecting the party negatively, especially with the governorship elections coming up in Edo and Ekiti states.
“The NNPP was established in 2002, and had been participating in all elections in Nigeria. Therefore, any action by INEC by way of continued delay, may affect its participation in the upcoming governorship polls ahead of the 2027 general elections,” he stated.