The Board of Trustees of the New Nigeria Peoples Party has suspended its candidate in the Feb. 25 presidential election, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for alleged anti-party activities.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the BoT also suspended the National Working Committee of the party and appointed new national officers headed by Dr Agbo Major as acting National Chairman and Mr Ogini Olaposi as acting National Secretary with 18 others.
NAN further reports that the suspension is for six months. It was further reported that 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.
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.
Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting in Lagos on Tuesday, Secretary of the BoT, Babayo Muhammed Abdulahi, accused Kwankwaso of hobnobbing with President Bola Tinubu, the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party 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 said the purported suspension of the NNPP founder was a flagrant gross violation of the party’s constitution.
He pointed out 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
Abdulahi said the pre-election Memorandum of Understanding signed with Kwankwasia Movement, The National Movement and National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders had been rendered void by the actions of the NWC.
Abdulahi said: “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.”