Politics

NNPP urges Gov Otti to resist involvement in party’s internal affairs

The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has enjoined the Abia State Governor, Mr Alex Otti, not to allow himself to be dragged into the internal affairs of the party by Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, whom it maintained had since been expelled from the party.

NNPP made the call on Sunday in a release issued by its spokesperson, Abdulsalam Abdulrazaq, at the end of an emergency meeting held by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), held at the Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos.

The party, while making the call, said the attention of its NWC had been drawn to the introduction of Senator Kwankwaso, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 poll, and the Kwankwasiya group members that accompanied him to Abia State Government House on Saturday, 9th November, 2024, as members of the National Executive (NEC) of the NNPP, describing such an act of irresponsibility and impersonation.

Besides, the party leadership further described the visit as invalid and deceitful, against the judgement recently delivered by Abia State High Court, which handed over the running of NNPP to its Board of Trustees (BOT), reiterating that Kwankwaso “was long expelled from NNPP together with his Kwankwasiya group members, and so those that were introduced alongside Kwankwaso as NNPP executives are not known to the party.”

“We are reliably informed that some of the issues discussed by Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso on camera with the Abia state governor were connected with the recent judgement of Abia State High Court which compelled INEC to hand over the administration of the party to the Board of Trustees (BOT) according to the party constitution 2022 as amended.

“We wish to advise Governor Otti not to allow himself to be dragged into the internal affairs of the NNPP by the expelled, self-acclaimed national leader who is hell-bent to disorganise the party ahead of the 2027 general election,” the NNPP alleged.

“Recognising the fact that the governor of Abia State is a democrat who has respect for rule of law with understanding that the judiciary is an independent organ of government different from the executive.

“Therefore, adhering strictly to the democratic principle of separation of power is very important to urge the governor to disregard whatever Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso could have discussed with him in relation to the recent Abia State High Court judgement.

“The compelling order is a judgement binding on INEC as the agency of government who has the mandate to regulate and control political parties and activities in Nigeria.

“If Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is not happy with the judgement, he knows where to go and not the executive arm of the government in disguise.

“And for the avoidance of doubts and emphasis, INEC is under a compelling order of the court to hand over the administration and management of the party to the board of the New Nigeria People’s Party led by Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, and life member of the Board.

“Dr. Aniebonam Boniface Okechukwu is equally the founder of the New Nigeria People’s Party in accordance with the 2022 Constitution of the party as amended,” it stated.

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