Follow Us on Google
From Okwe Obi & Uwubiti Efemena, Abuja
A factional Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Kawu Ali, has described as a huge joke the 6 month suspension of the Rabiu Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the party.
A factional National Working Committee, led by the party’s founder, Boniface Aniebonam, had suspended Kwankwaso and some chieftains of the party, for alleged anti party activities.
But Ali, at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, explained how Kwankwaso, Buba Galadima among others breathe life into the party that was almost comatose.
According to him, Aniebonam who was the national chairman, said he was tired and wanted to go and rest, the elders and leaders of the Party, as a mark of respect, persuaded him to accept the position of a yet-to-be-constituted Board of Trustees.
He said: “It is just unfortunate that some people have reduced politics and party administration to a huge joke.
“The news that one person will sit somewhere and arrogate certain powers to himself is not permissible in a democracy.
“We are using this medium to assure our supporters all over the country that there is no substance in the story. His Excellency, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso remains the face of the party, has not been suspended, and the NWC under Malam Abba Kawu Ali remains intact.”
He continued: “When we started this new journey on March 1st, 2022, with the inauguration of the Caretaker Committee at an occasion witnessed by officials from the INEC, the then national chairman, Chief Boniface Okechukwu, said he was tired and wanted to go and rest, the elders and leaders of the Party, as a mark of respect persuaded him to accept the position of a yet-to-be-constituted BOT, while another eider of the Party, Elder Buba Galadima was named the Secretary.
“With the hope that when the BOT is properly constituted, these two positions would be made official, when members of the NEW Board meet to elect their leaders.
“Because of the pressure of the last elections, the party has not properly constituted the Board talk less of the Board holding a meeting to take decisions on anything.
“During the last election, it was discovered that some of our states EXCOS engaged in anti-Party activities.
“A case is that of the erstwhile State Chairman of Ogun, going on Radio to announce that NNPP has stepped down for the Candidate of another party, when there was nothing like that.
“We had a case where another State Chairman, after the March 11 election went on Facebook and congratulated himself for “delivering” his ward for another party.
“We have many like that from the States. This prompted the decision of the NWC to commence disciplinary processes against some of these erring States Excos.
“In line with our Constitution, on April 27,2023, and July 28, 2023, about 10 States were axed with the Excos right from States to Local Governments down to the Wards. Later, some of the Chairmenwere suspended.
“However, we noticed a twist in that the Former BOT Chairman started issuing letters re-instating those punished. A power he did not have. Efforts were made to make him see reasons why this is unacceptable.
“Nobody is above the party. He continued in these unwholesome acts. We as members of the NWC visited him on many occasions to persuade him to desist, but he continued.
“The NWC was left with no choice but to invoke the law on him. During the meeting of the NWC on August 24, both the Former BOT Chairman and the erstwhile National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Gilbert Major Agbo were suspended for 3 months pending investigations into the allegations against them.
“On the 5th of August 2023, we wrote INEC informing the body of our scheduled NEC meeting on August 29, 2023 in line with the Electoral Act which says you must give at least 21 days notice to INEC for a meeting of such nature, where election into party officers are concerned.
“It is also the practice that in every correspondence between a political party and INEC, only the National Chairman and the Secretary can sign such correspondence.
“As stated in our letter to INEC the NNPP had its NEC meeting yesterday, Tuesday, AUGUST 29, 2023.
“Is it not funny that all those people either suspended or expelled would gather somewhere and claim to have suspended His Excellency, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and also dissolve the NWC?
“The jokers also appointed a CTC made up of those people who have ceased to be members of the party by virtue of our Constitution.
“Was INEC at the meeting? Did they write INEC? Who and who signed the letter? Is it not laughable that Major Agbo, who announced the suspension of the former chairmen, the expulsion of two of them, and the dissolution of some of the states is now purportedly “heading” their caretaker committee?”
