The New Nigerian Peoples Party has tipped Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano state as the new Leader of the party.
Yusuf has just been affirmed by the Supreme Court as the governor of the commercial city.
Recall that the NNPP has been enmeshed in crisis since last year, in which a faction of the party led by Boniface Aniebonam, expelled Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the Leader and a chieftain of the party.
Kwakwanso was a former governor of Kano state, on whose crest Governor Yusuf, his in-law rode to power last year.
In a press statement made available to the magazine on Saturday, signed by
NNPP Board of Trustees Chairman, TKO Aluko, titled “Special Appeal To Media Houses And Practitioners and INEC on the need to respect the will and constitution of the New Nigeria People’s Party and its members,” the party re-affirmed its changed in leadership.
It said the INEC and members of the public should respect its decision on the matter
The statement……..
Matters Arising
Once again, may we use this public space to remind the Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC, through its Chairman, that we have requested for the urgent need to update their records of the National Executive Committee of the NEW NIGERIA PEOPLES PARTY, NNPP.
It is instructive to indicate herein that the constitution of the NNPP is supreme and binding on all members, without prejudice to the overarching Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act.
With the he nation’s Constitution being the unquestionable grundnorm, every other establishment in Nigeria derives its powers of establishment and operations from the said Constitution.
The mandate and powers of INEC to register, control and regulate political parties are constitutionally provided. We all know that, certainly.
However, INEC does not have powers to meddle in the internal administration and management of political parties. Otherwise it would tantamount to avoidable breach of the constitutional rights of Nigerians to freely associate
What we try to put across herein is simple, straight-forward and unambiguous: The extant powers of the Board members of the NNPP in relation to resolution of the Party’s internal matters are very clear. The Board has powers to call to order any member of the Party who acts contrary to the Party’s norms.
In this connection, Senator Kwankwaso, Elder Buba Galadima and the sacked and defunct National Working Committee, NWC, led by Alhaji Abbah kawu have been in gross abuse of the constitutional provisions of the new NNPP with impunity.
While we do not have intention of speaking ill of any one, it suffices to indicate herein that the unceremonious exit of Prof Alkali, Prof Angwe Samuel and Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, etc and their joining the APC is a pointer that all is not well with the nternal administration of the party.
Indeed, for Senator Kwankwaso to run the affairs of the NEW NIGERIA PEOPLES PARTY as a personal estate was as undemocratic as it was unacceptable. This is aside issues bothering on corruption, high handedness, lack of transparency and accountability on the part of the defunct NWC members.
All these avoidable acts of gross misconduct led to the invitation of the concerned persons by the Board of Trustees for explanation, but they refused to provide answers to the queries. Indeed, the Board had to invoke its inherent powers by calling them all to order and decisively expelling them from the Party.
The action of the Board, having subsequently been ratified by the General Assembly of the Party, has been communicated to the Chairman of INEC, and the Commission duly acknowledged same and pledged to update its records.
The surprising and very embarrassing thing today is that INEC is still dealing with the expelled members of the party. This is aside the fact that this matter is pending before a Federal High Court, with INEC duly served and notified.
While we note and acknowledge the powers of INEC to regulate and control political parties, INEC should be seen to act as a neutral boby to all political parties and try to respect the internal administration of each of the parties.
Under these circumstances, it shall be more responsible on the part of INEC as a regulator, having recieved a notification, to invite both parties with a view to ascertaining facts and be in a better position to make an informed decision.
It is our abinding view and opinion that the Chairman of INEC, and the Commission itself, shall take a cue from the judiciary at the moment and strive to add value to the ethos of democracy , rule of law and conflict resolution.
For the media, we want to clearly let them know that there is no faction in our PARTY, the NNPP. Rather, Senator Kwankwaso and the entire membership of the old NWC led by Alhaji Abbah Kawu have since been expelled and INEC appropriately and duly informed in that regard.
For the avoidance of doubt,the new principal officers of the NNPP are Dr Gilbert Agbo Major as the National Chairman, Comrade Ogini Samuel as the Secretary General and Dr TKO Aluko as the Chairman, Board of Trustees.
Dr Aniebonam Boniface Okechukwu is the Founder and Spiritual Leader of the Party and Governor Abbah Yusuf of Kano State is the Leader of the Party.
It is also our hope that IPAC should be allowed to operate without any strings from the INEC. By so doing, we shall be adding value to the cause of genuine democracy in Nigeria.
