Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has denounced Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s attempt to seize control of the party structure as a violation of trust.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Aniebonam asserted that he had given Kwankwaso the party platform to pursue his presidential ambitions without hesitation. He had registered and nurtured the NNPP since 2002, he explained, before Kwankwaso and his team approached him in 2022 to represent the party in the 2023 presidential election.
“Buba Galadima, along with Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi and Professor Sam Angai, visited my residence in Anambra to request our support for Kwankwaso’s candidacy,” Aniebonam recalled. “After discussions, I contacted Kwankwaso and, following his assurances, offered him the NNPP platform as its sole candidate.”
However, Aniebonam expressed shock and dismay when Kwankwaso publicly unveiled a new logo and flag for the NNPP and altered its constitution without authorization. “This is deeply concerning,” he said. “As the founder and former board chairman, I cannot remain silent while the party I built from its inception is being dismantled.”
Aniebonam emphasized that, according to the party’s constitution, he remains a lifetime member of the board. Despite Kwankwaso’s status as a non-member of the board of trustees or leader of the party, he has allegedly attempted to hijack the NNPP.
“I founded the NNPP after establishing the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), which serves as its parent organization,” Aniebonam explained. “Despite the expulsion of Kwankwaso and others from the party for anti-party activities, I have the authority to grant them pardon if they renounce their current actions.”
He added that the recent convention held by Kwankwaso’s faction was invalid due to a court order prohibiting it. “The Abuja Federal High Court has ruled that the NNPP’s issues are internal and must be resolved through its constitution,” Aniebonam said. “We are prepared to seek legal interpretation all the way to the Supreme Court.”
In conclusion, the NNPP founder stated that Kwankwaso’s actions had jeopardized his status as the party’s sole presidential candidate, even if he were to receive a pardon. CONTINUE READING
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