The leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has publicly distanced itself from former Kano State governor and presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, insisting he was not a member of the party at the time of an alleged 2019 incident involving Governor Abba Yusuf and certain Supreme Court judges.
In a statement released at the weekend and signed by the party’s National Secretary, Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday, the NNPP said it was compelled to “set the records straight” regarding Kwankwaso’s relationship with the party and his alleged involvement in the matter referenced in a petition to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Inspector General of Police.
According to the statement, the party maintained that Kwankwaso joined the NNPP only a few months before the 2023 general elections alongside other political figures including Buba Galadima, Prof. Alkali, Senator Hunkuyi, Prof. Hangar and the current Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf. It stressed that Kwankwaso was neither a founding member nor a long-standing stakeholder of the party.
“The authentic founder of the New Nigeria People’s Party is Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam,” the statement read, adding that claims portraying Kwankwaso as a founding father or national leader of the party were inaccurate.
The NNPP leadership further accused the former governor of attempting to take control of the party structure after joining, alleging that he sought to alter the party’s logo and colours without the consent of its founder and board of trustees. It described the alleged actions as an attempt to “hijack” the party.
The statement also referenced internal disputes within the party that led to court action at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, saying a case challenging a convention that produced Dr. Agbo Gilbert Major as National Chairman and Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday as National Secretary was dismissed.
Reiterating what it described as a resolution of its National Working Committee, the NNPP said Kwankwaso was expelled shortly after the 2023 general elections for what it termed “gross misconduct.” It added that certain allegations related to the matter were reportedly under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), though no details were provided.
The party called on the Nigerian Bar Association to remove the NNPP’s name from any petition relating to the 2019 allegations, insisting that Kwankwaso should not be associated with the party in that context. It also urged the media and security agencies to refrain from referring to him as the national leader of the NNPP.
The statement concluded by affirming that the party’s leadership structure, in line with its constitution, rests with its founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam, with Dr. Agbo Gilbert Major as National Chairman and Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday as National Secretary.
As of the time of filing this report, Senator Kwankwaso had not issued any public response to the claims. Political observers say the development highlights ongoing internal disputes within the NNPP following the 2023 elections and could have implications for party cohesion ahead of future electoral contests.
