From Okwe Obi, Abuja
National Leader of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, yesterday, said the change of the party’s logo Constitution reflected the mission of the party on education and national development.
Kwankwaso, who spoke during the ceremony in Abuja, added that in the 2019 general elections, some supporters of the party could not identify the party’s logo.
“We thank God that on the 12th of July 2024, we were able to launch our amended constitution, our colours, logo, and flag, which we believe is the best for the party. I’m sure our supporters will be very happy.
“We didn’t know we had some issues until during the election when we went to the polls, believing that we could identify the logos and I couldn’t identify it, and this created a lot of problems for our voters across the country.
“We resolved that it was necessary for us to change that logo because of difficulty in colour separation, and that’s how the change started,” he said.
Also, NNPP National Chairman, Ajuji Ahmed has said the party change its logo because it confused their supporters in the last general elections.
He said: “Our experience in the last general elections when the old logo with its many colors posed a great challenge in the production of the ballot papers gave us a clear indication that, for the Party, going forward, there was an urgent need to do something about the logo especially.
“In fact in some cases, our voters were confused by the way the old logo came out in the ballot papers across the country.
“As a party focused on going forward, we did not blame anybody, we did not go to Tribunals to challenge anyone on account of the way the logo came out in ballot papers throughout the country.
“Instead we went on a mission of dialogue and wide consultations within and outside the Party, which took us to where we are today.
“History is being made here today, as a new dawn has arrived for the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
“The Party is today presenting it’s new logo to Nigerian voters which henceforth will adorn ballot papers in every election in Nigeria, following the approval of the logo by the only body charged with the responsibility of registering and monitoring the activities of political Parties and managing elections in Nigeria, i.e. the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Let me make two quick clarifications here. What we are doing here today is not the unveiling of the new logo.
“The unveiling was done at the National Executive Committee meeting of the Party on Friday, April 5, 2024 and the National Convention of Saturday April 6, 2024. What we are doing here, and I repeat, is to present the Logo to Nigerian voters everywhere as the logo they should look out for in ballot papers henceforth anywhere they want to cast their ballot for NNPP in any election held in Nigeria.
“The second clarification which is very important is that due to the issue of logistics, INEC will still use the old logo for the off-season September 21, 2024 Governorship election in Edo State and the re-run election coming up in Kano State shortly.
“However, beginning with the November 16, 2024 off-season Governorship election in Ondo State, this new logo will be on the ballot papers.
“Voters in these States mentioned above i.e. Edo, Kano and Ondo States should take note.
“On behalf of the entire membership of the NNPP, we hereby register our profound appreciation to the Management and entire staff of INEC for their thorough and diligent process of working on our request to change not only our logo, but the Constitution of this great Party in order to bring Constitution in line with best standards in democratic practice and promote the widest participation of Nigerians.
“With the approval of the new Constitution which contains our new logo, new flag and the new slogan, NNPP has now been given to the Nigerian people to manage. It is no longer a party managed by a just few transactional politicians. Not any more.”