The Board of Trustees, BoT, of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, on Tuesday, suspended its candidate in the February, 25 Presidential election, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and one other member over alleged anti-party activities.
The suspension is to take effect for a period of six months in the first instance.
The BoT, which announced the suspension at a media briefing in Lagos, also suspended the National Working Committee, NWC of the party.
Recall that the NWC of the party on Thursday, Aug. 24, announced the suspension of the founder of the party, Dr Boniface Aniebonam and the National Publicity Secretary, Major.
The BoT, also appointed new national officers headed by Dr Agbo Major as acting National Chairman and Mr Ogini Olaposi as acting National Secretary with 18 others.
The suspensions were put to a voice vote by members of the party at its special general assembly, held at the Rockview Hotels in Apapa, Lagos.
Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting in Lagos, Secretary of the BoT, Babayo Abdulahi, accused Kwankwaso of hobnobbing with President Bola Tinubu, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Mr. Peter Obi, without the board’s authorisation.
Abdullahi announced that Kwankwaso had been stripped of the NNPP national leader status by the board.
The secretary of the BoT maintained that the purported suspension of the NNPP founder was a flagrant gross violation of the party’s constitution.
Abdulahi said that Aniebonam had resigned as the BoT chairman and a new BoT Chairman, Dr Chief Tope Aluko was elected with Abdulahi as new BoT Secretary, while High Chief Tony Obioha was elected as BoT spokesperson
He added that the pre-election Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed 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.
According to Abdulahi: “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.”
Also speaking, the acting chairman said his team would hit the ground running by healing the wounds created by the suspended NWC members.
“The party will remain the most ordinary friendly party in the country, we urge other members that are displaced for one reason or the other to return to our fold.
“We don’t intend to shut anybody out or censor anybody but we want to ensure that we remain on track and maintain our people oriented ideology,” he said.
The special general assembly meeting was attended by the new NWC and members from across the country.
Credit: Vanguard News Nigeria