NNPP: Kwankwasia’s Kwankwaso kicked in the knee
● Bags 6 months suspension over alleged unauthorised visits to Tinubu, Obi and Atiku
By PHC Telegraph
Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, has received a kick in the knee as fighting erupts within the party.
According to information filtering out of the party, which is being torn apart at this time by internal contradictions, Kwankwaso has been stripped of his position as national leader.
He is also to remain on suspension for six months.
Kwankwaso is facing disciplinary measures from the party for daring to hobnob with Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC without permission from the NNPP.
Babayo Muhammed Abdullahi, a high ranking member of the party disclosed that Kwankwaso was pushed out of the position of the national leader by the Board of Trustees, BoT.
The BoT also appointed new national officers who are to administer the party going forward.
Agbo Major is to lead the party as acting national chairman while Ogini Olaposi would function as acting National Secretary.
Nigerians are learning from events that are unfolding in NNPP circles that Kwankwaso’s suspension was put to a voice vote at special general assembly of members of the party.
The special general assembly meeting which took out Kwankwaso held at the Rockview Hotels in Apapa.
The party’s NWC on Thursday, Aug. 24, announced the suspension of the founder of the party, Boniface Aniebonam and the national publicity secretary, Mr Major.
Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting in Lagos on Tuesday, Secretary of the BoT, Babayo Muhammed Abdulahi, accused Mr Kwankwaso of parleying with Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, and Obi without the board’s authorisation.
The BoT Secretary said the purported suspension of the founder of the NNPP was a gross violation of the party’s constitution.
He pointed out that Mr Aniebonam had resigned as the chairman of the BoT and a new BoT chairman, Tope Aluko was elected.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered into with Kwankwasia Movement, The National Movement (TNM) and National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) had been rendered void by the actions of the NWC, Abdullahi stressed.
The BoT Secretary remarked, “The purported suspension of the founder is a flagrant gross violation of the NNPP constitution such that it is tantamount to recklessness and irresponsibility on the part of the incompetent NWC.
“The BoT decided that material evidence in the public sector affirmed that Kwankwaso was involved in anti-party activities in various meetings, suggest political discussions with the President, Atiku and Obi without authorisation from the board.
”This has earned him six months suspension pending the outcome of investigation by the Disciplinary Committee.
“The BOT insisted that the avoidable violation of MoU between NNPP on the one part and Kwankwasia, TNM and NAGAFF on the other has no other choice than to withdraw from the partnership. It is therefore to state clearly that the MOU have been rendered void.”
It is not clear what the future holds for the NNPP, but signs are the party may become totally fragmented.
The party with a motto, “Peace, Equity and Justice” which was supposed to be the most “ordinary friendly” platform in the entire country is in great turmoil, Kwankwaso tormented by his fellow party men for having conversations with other members of the political class without authorisation.
“We don’t intend to shut anybody out or censor anybody”, the new chair emphasized, “but we want to ensure that we remain on track and maintain our people-oriented ideology.”