The National leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party has described the purported suspension of the party’s senator and three other House of Representatives members as a ruse.
The Kwankwasia group, led by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, had announced the suspension of four senior party members, including Senator Kawu Sumaila, Ali Madakin Gini, Sani Abdullahi Rogo, and Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, over allegations of anti-party activities.
The Kano State chairman of the party, Hashimu Dungurawa, announced the suspension while addressing journalists on Monday.
According to Dungurawa, these National Assembly members were elected under the NNPP platform but have recently engaged in actions that contradict the party’s principles, values, and objectives
Reacting, the NNPP national secretary, Oginni Olaposi in a statement made available to our correspondent on Wednesday, insisted that the Dungurawa belongs to the Kwankwasia group, stressing that the group lacks the constitutional power to take such action.
Oginni maintained that the senator and House of Representatives members who were alleged to have been suspended by the Kwankwasia group were full-fledged and bonafide elected members of the NNPP.
He urged the leadership of the National Assembly to note that the party had passed a vote of confidence on all its elected National Assembly members.
According to him, Kwankwaso, who led the Kwankwasia movement, has been expelled from the party and therefore lacks the locus to act or speak on behalf of the party.
The party’s secretary explained that the memorandum of understanding between the NNPP and the Kwankwasia movement was terminated after the 2023 general election, adding that the Abia State High Court had also terminated the agreement on November 1, 2024.
He stated that the court had compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission to hand over the administration and leadership of the NNPP to Dr. Aniebonam Boniface Okechukwu, the Chairman, Board of Trustees and Founder of the party.
The NNPP scribe appealed to the general public, especially the people of Kano State, to disregard any statement made by the Kwankwasia members, describing them as false and misleading.
He also called on the President, the leadership of the National Assembly, and other political parties to disregard any statement made by the Kwankwasia movement, led by Senator Kwankwaso.
He added, “The undeniable fact is that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Elder Buba Galadima were mere representatives of the Kwankwasia movement and the national movement respectively hence their signatures on the memorandum of understanding of 2022 with the NNPP.
“It is however worrisome that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Elder Buba Galadima are shamelessly parading themselves as interlopers in NNPP’s affairs at the moment knowing fully well that the contract of the Memorandum of understanding has been terminated.
“The New Nigeria People’s Party is using this medium to appeal to the general public most especially Kano State indigenous people to disregard whatever the Kwankwasia members who are masquerading as NNPP members are saying as false and misleading.
“NNPP hereby reiterate that the Senator and honourable members who were alleged to have been suspended by Kwankwasia are full-fledged and bonafide elected members of the new Nigeria People’s Party. The Kwankwasia has no constitutional power to delve into NNPP’s affairs.
“We therefore urge the leadership of the National Assembly to note that the Convention of New Nigeria People’s Party has passed a vote of confidence on all our elected National Assembly Members including Senator Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, Hon.Aliyu Sani Madaki Gini, Hon. Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, Hon. Sani Abdulahi Rogo and others.”
The NNPP leadership’s dismissal of the Kwankwasia group’s suspension of the Senator and National Assembly members is the latest development in the ongoing crisis within the party.
The crisis has been brewing for months, with the Kwankwasia group and the NNPP leadership locked in a bitter struggle for control of the party.
(PUNCH)