A Kano state High Court has restrained a faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) from acting and parading themselves as party leaders.
In a copy of the judgement made available to our reporter, Boniface Aniegbulam and eight others earlier expelled from the party by the National Executive Committee (NEC) were also barred from expelling the party’s presidential candidate in the last general elections, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
In the suit filed by a member of the party, Alhaji Hasimu Suleiman Dangurawa, Justice Usman Mallam Na’aba, in an interim injunction, held that Aniegbulam and eight others should desist from carrying out any action pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Dangurawa, through his lawyer, Y .Y Dansulaiman, had sued Aniegbulam and 17 others before the court on Tuesday.
The move is sequel to a report in national dailies purporting the expulsion of the former Kano state governor from the party.
In his ruling, Justice Na’aba held thus: “An order of interim injunction is hereby granted, restraining the respondents by themselves, their agents, cronies, and whosoever acting or act through them from parading themselves, issuing press release or granting interviews as national leaders or members of the applicants, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”
Meanwhile, a National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, Mr Kola Tajudeen Bello, has asked its expelled publicity scribe, Mr. Agbo Major, to account for campaign funds handed over to him.
In a statement Tuesday, Bello claimed Major was the brain behind the crisis rocking the party.
Bello said: “We are not unaware of the antics of the expelled former National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Agbo Major and the damage he has continued to do to our party.
“It is on record that Mr Agbo, who is in cohort with Chief Boniface Aniegbulam, has been working day and night, issuing out fake press releases to media organisations in the name of the party with the sole aim of embarrassing our national leader and the former governor of Kano state.
“The said gentleman has been undermining the party for so long and we intend to bring his antics to public knowledge. We are using this medium to urge him to come forward to account for funds given to him.”