August 29, (THEWILL) – The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has suspended its presidential candidate in the February 25 general election, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, for six months over anti-party activities.
Secretary of the BoT, Babayo Muhammed Abdulahi, announced the suspension after a Special General Assembly meeting of the party on Tuesday, in Lagos.
The BoT also appointed new national officers headed by Dr. Agbo Major as acting National Chairman, Comrade Ogini Olaposi as acting National Secretary, and 18 other officers.
The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had, on Thursday, August 24, announced the suspension of the founder of the party, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam and the National Publicity Secretary, Agbo Major.
But the BoT, at the meeting, said the purported suspension of its founder was a flagrant gross violation of the NNPP constitution.
It stated that Aniebonam had resigned as the BoT chairman and a new BoT Chairman, Dr. Chief Tope Aluko, was elected with Abdulahi as the new BoT Secretary, while High Chief Tony Obioha was elected as BoT Spokesperson.
Abdullahi said the pre-election Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Kwankwasia Movement, The National Movement (TNM) and National Association of Government-Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has been rendered void by the actions of the NWC.
“The purported suspension of the Founder was a flagrant gross violation of the NNPP constitution such that it is tantamount to recklessness and irresponsibility on the part of the incompetent NWC.
“BoT decided that material evidence in the public sector affirmed that Senator Kwankwaso was involved in anti-party activities in various meetings, suggested political discussions with Mr. President, Atiku and Obi without authorization from the board. This has earned him 6 months suspension pending the outcome of an 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 had no other choice than to withdraw from the partnership. It is, therefore, to state clearly that the MOU has been rendered,” said Abdullahi.
Accepting his new role, the acting chairman, Major said his team will hit the ground running by healing the wounds created by the suspended NWC members.
