Skip to main content

Nigerian Court Sets Aside Suspension Of NNPP Presidential Candidate, Kwankwaso From Party

Nigerian Court Sets Aside Suspension Of NNPP Presidential Candidate, Kwankwaso From Party
September 5, 2023

On Monday, September 4, the former national chairman of the party, Prof. Ahmed Alkali officially resigned from the party, blaming it on the crisis in the party.

Justice Usman Na’aana of Kano State High Court on Tuesday set aside the suspension of the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, from the party.

Justice Na’aama in his ruling granted an interim injunction restraining the founding members of the party, Boniface Aniebonam, Agbo Major and 16 other respondents from parading themselves as national leaders of the party pending the hearing and determination of the motion of notice filed by Kwankwaso on October 5.

The judge also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing the “purported suspension” of Senator Kwankwaso as a member of the applicant (NNPP) pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The matter was subsequently adjourned to October 5, 2023.

On Monday, September 4, the former national chairman of the party, Prof. Ahmed Alkali officially resigned from the party, blaming it on the crisis in the party.

The NNPP Board of Trustees (BoT) last Tuesday suspended Kwankwaso for six months over alleged anti-party activities.

The suspension was announced after a voice vote by members of the party at its special general assembly, held at the Rockview Hotels in Apapa, Lagos State.

The BoT also suspended the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party but appointed new national officers headed by Dr. Agbo Major as acting National Chairman and Mr Ogini Olaposi as acting National Secretary, along with 18 others.

Secretary of the BoT, Babayo Muhammed Abdullahi, while addressing journalists at the end of the meeting accused Kwankwaso of hobnobbing with President Bola Tinubu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji 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.

Then earlier today (Tuesday), the NNPP National Executive Committee expelled Kwankwaso from the party following his alleged refusal to appear before the Disciplinary Committee.

The NEC had warned that failure to appear before the Disciplinary Committee, Kwankwaso would be expelled from the party in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution 2022 (as amended).

Consequently, Mr Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, the Acting National Publicity Secretary of NNPP, said in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos, that the NEC had expelled Kwankwaso with immediate effect because of his refusal to honour the committee’s invitations.

Topics
Legal