In a recent development, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has taken decisive action against Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the party’s 2023 Presidential Candidate. The decision comes in the wake of Senator Kwankwaso’s alleged refusal to appear before the party’s Disciplinary Committee.
This decision followed the suspension of Senator Kwankwaso by the party’s leadership during the National Convention held on August 29 in Lagos. Subsequently, the NEC established a Disciplinary Committee and gave Senator Kwankwaso five days to address allegations of gross anti-party activities and mishandling of party/campaign funds.
The NEC had explicitly warned that failure to cooperate with the Disciplinary Committee would result in Senator Kwankwaso’s expulsion, in accordance with the party’s constitution for 2022 (as amended).
As a consequence of Senator Kwankwaso’s refusal to respond to the committee’s invitations, Mr. Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, the Acting National Publicity Secretary of NNPP, made an official announcement on Tuesday in Lagos. He stated, “The NEC convened an emergency session on Friday, Sept. 1, and reached the following resolutions:
“Due to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s refusal to appear before the disciplinary committee, despite being duly invited in writing, he is hereby expelled from NNPP with immediate effect.
“Furthermore, the former presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, will be referred to the appropriate authorities to answer questions regarding financial impropriety related to the mismanagement of public funds.”
This internal conflict within NNPP originally surfaced when the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), loyal to Senator Kwankwaso, announced the suspension of the NNPP founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, and the National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Agbo Major, on August 24th.
