The Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso led group of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Abuja on Tuesday expelled with immediate effect, the founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), of the party, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, and some members.
The party at its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting accused the BoT Chairman, the National Publicity Secretary, Agbo Major, and others of anti-party activities.
Aniebonam, particularly, was accused of creating a parallel group within the party with a view to causing disaffection in the NNPP.
The Kwankwaso group also upheld motions to extend the tenure of the acting national chairman, Mallam Abah-Kawu Ali, and to redesign the party’s logo.
Those expelled by NEC were Dr Boniface Aniebonam, Major Agbo Tope Aluko, among others.
Reading out the resolutions of NEC, the National Legal Adviser, Roberr Hons said, “At the National Executive Committee meeting of the NNPP held in Abuja today August 29th 2023, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, Agbo Major and several others were Expelled from the party.
“The NEC also moved several other motions relating to the Logo of the party, the Amendment of the constitution, ratification of the State caretaker committees, and suspension of two Articles in the constitution of the NNPP 2022.
“Presenr at the meeting were the governor of Kano state, the National Chairman, Senator Kawu Ismaila, the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Engr Buba Galadima and many others.
NEC noted that the suspended (now expelled) persons purportedly held a Board of Trustees meeting in Apapa, Lagos this morning.
“Naturally their meeting was null and void and to no effect.”
The party’s only Governor, Abba Yusuf of Kano state, said he would continue to work closely with Senator Kwankwaso in his efforts to reposition the NNPP.
While addressing the NEC, the National Secretary, Olayoku Dipo, said the party was in the process of setting up a properly constituted BoT in line with its constitution.
He also disclosed plans by the leadership to change NNPP’s logo, as he revealed that the opposition party’s fortune at the February election was affected by the current logo.
BoT Secretary, Engr. Buba Galadimawa commended the National Working Committee (NWC) for its role in stabilising the political party.
Similarly, the factional Board of Trustees of the New Nigeria Peoples Party led by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam also suspended the presidential candidate in the February 25 general election, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The Secretary of the BoT, Babayo Muhammed Abdulahi who made the announcement said that Kwankwaso has been suspended for six months over anti-party activities.
It also suspended the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
The suspension was put to a voice vote by members of the party at the special general assembly in Lagos.
The BoT also appointed new national officers headed by Dr Agbo Major as acting National Chairman and Comrade Ogini Olaposi as acting National Secretary alongside about 18 others.
It named new national officers headed by Dr Agbo Major as acting National Chairman and Mr Ogini Olaposi as acting National Secretary with 18 others.
Speaking to newsmen at the end of the meeting in Lagos, Tuesday, Secretary of the BoT, Babayo Muhammed Abdulahi, accused Kwankwaso of meeting secretly with President Bola Tinubu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Mr. Peter Obi, without the board’s authorisation.
He announced that Kwankwaso had been stripped of the NNPP national leader status by the board.
The factional secretary of the BoT said the purported suspension of the NNPP founder was a flagrant gross violation of the party’s constitution.
He said that Aniebonam had resigned as the BoT chairman and a new BoT Chairman, Dr Chief Tope Aluko, was elected with Abdulahi as new BoT Secretary, while High Chief Tony Obioha was elected as BoT spokesperson
Abdulahi said the pre-election Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Kwankwasia Movement, The National Movement (TNM) and National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) had been rendered void by the actions of the NWC.
He added: “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 the 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 has been rendered void.”
The acting chairman, who also spoke with newsmen, said his team would hit the ground running by healing the wounds created by the suspended NWC members.
He 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.
He added: “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”.