ASHENEWS recalls that the Board of Trustees of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), on Tuesday, suspended its national leader, and presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, for six months over alleged anti-party activities.
However, in what could be described as a deepened political crisis, Kwankwaso’s faction on Tuesday, held a parallel meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja to reverse his suspension.
The meeting also expelled the new acting national chairman of the party, Major Agbo and some notable members.
The National Auditor of the party, Ladipo Johnson, reacting to Kwankwaso’s suspension described it as an illegitimate move.
He claimed that he was the chairman of the disciplinary committee that subsequently expelled Agbo and his loyalists at the NEC meeting in Abuja.
According to him, there was no division in the party as being speculated.
“It is a fake news. Do you hold NEC meetings in the Apapa area of Lagos? Of course, it is not the proper thing to do. We held NEC in Abuja today.
“The Agbo you talked about has been expelled along with some other people. He was the one doing all this nonsense and that’s because you know him as national publicity secretary. Who made him acting chairman? Ask yourself, is that how one becomes a chairman?
“I don’t like your use of the word ‘faction.’ Is that how one creates a faction? If you come to NNPP headquarters, you will see us there.
“You will also see that Agbo’s office has been locked for over a week. And he didn’t even go to any court to say what we did was wrong. They are the judges themselves and they are the ones you should be calling a faction. That’s because they were suspended and eventually expelled from the party. Let me send you a statement on the NEC we just held,” he said.
The statement released by the faction read, “At the National Executive Committee meeting of the NNPP held in Abuja today August 29, 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 the suspension of two Articles in the constitution of the NNPP 2022.
“At the meeting were the Executive Governor of Kano State, the National Chairman, Distinguished Senator Kawu Ismaila, the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Engr Buba Galadima and many others.
“NEC noted that there were suspended (now expelled) persons who purportedly held a Board of Trustees meeting in Apapa, Lagos this morning. Naturally, their meeting was null and void and to no effect.”