The Chairmen of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) have rejected the recent dissolution of the party’s executives in seven states by the National Working Committee (NWC).
The aggrieved chairmen on Thursday described the dissolution as “gross abuse of power” and”unacceptable.”
The NNPP’s NWC had on July 28, 2023 announced dissolution of the party executive councils in seven states; Enugu, Ekiti, Rivers, Niger, Katsina, Kaduna and Zamfara, over anti-party activities.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Dr Major Agwo, who had announced the dissolution in Abuja, said that a five-man Caretaker Committee had been constituted to run the affairs of the party in the affected states.
But the chairmen, in a statement in Lagos on Thursday, described the dissolution as ” an injustice” and “sheer irregularity” that contravenes the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.
The aggrieved chairmen are Messrs Olaposi Oginni (Ogun), Mamman Damisa (Niger), Harry Richard (Rivers), Umar Ahmed (Katsina), Muhammad Sani (Zamfara), Adisa Falade (Lagos), Sedan Adegbola (Oyo), Nuhu Sanya (Kaduna), Dada Olayinka (Ekiti) and Ibrahim Yahyah (Ex-Officio, North West, Sokoto).
Their statement, which was signed by party chairmen and leaders from Ogun, Niger, Rivers, Katsina, Zamfara, Lagos, Oyo, Kaduna, Sokoto and Ekiti States, said they were totally against the NCW’s action.
According to them, the NWC is being used to witch hunt loyal party members who have no established record of anti-party activities.
The statement said: “We wonder why a disciplinary committee would sit without showing those alleged of anti-party activities a copy of the petition written against them?
“How can the committee come to conclusion without revealing the petitioners and their status in the party?
“Again, Article 39 Subsection 6 of NNPP constitution State this; Where it is proposed to expel a member of the Executive Committee from membership of the Party, such a proposal shall be submitted to The National Executive Committee.
“Where then did NWC derived its power to unilaterally expel the Chairman of Ogun State, Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday?
“Isn’t this a gross violation of Article 39(6) of NNPP Constitution? Any Act that violates the party’s constitution is but null and void.”
According to it, slandering the hard-earned image of everyone, who for many years, have sacrificed their resources, time, and properties in building the party is detrimental to the growth of the party.
The statement said that the dissolution was an indication that the NWC was being used to achieve a sinister motive of hijacking the party in continuance of political trading by some powers in the party.
It also alleged that the NNPP Constitution was amended twice without the knowledge of the party chairmen, who are bonafide members of NEC.
It said: “As a cover up to these glaring unconstitutional, illegal act being perpetrated by the NWC, the constitution of our great party has been criminally amended, at least, twice without members’ knowledge.
“This impunity cannot continue. We wish to say that no rent seeker can chase away a landlord in his own house.
“Those who traded the party should leave willingly before it is too late. They should leave our party in peace. We shall not leave our home.
“NNPP is a party we laboured with our sweat to build. The structures were put in place by committed individuals and not with the resources of any godfather aiming to tarnish people’s image for his own selfish pursuits.”
The statement called on the Founder/ Chairman Board of Trustees, Dr Boniface Aniebonam to immediately step into this matter before it degenerates into uncontrollable crisis.
The statement added, “It is our hope that the BoT Chairman shall within reasonable time invoke Section 12. 5(a) detailing functions of the Board of Trustees by ensuring highest standards of morality in all activities of the party.”
It urged that the BOT chairman to act as the conscience of the party, with the power to call to order any officer of the party, “whose conduct falls below the norms and return all victimised Executives across the states back to their official capacities.”
Nevertheless, calls to the NNPP National Publicity Secretary of the party, Dr Major Agwo, for his response on the issues raised by the chairmen yielded no result as he neither picked nor called back as at press time.
