The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Board of Trustees (BoT), on Tuesday, took a sweeping disciplinary action by suspending its presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for alleged anti-party conduct.
It also suspended the National Working Committee (NWC).
It thus selected new national officers, including 18 others under the leadership of Dr. Agbo Major as acting national chairman, and Mr. Ogini Olaposi as acting national secretary.
The suspensions, which run for six months, were said to have been put to a voice vote by members of the party at its special general assembly held in Lagos.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting in Lagos on Tuesday, Secretary of the BoT, Babayo Muhammed Abdulahi, charged Kwankwaso with interacting without the board’s permission with President Bola Tinubu, PDP presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
Kwankwaso’s role as the national leader of the NNPP has been revoked, according to Abdullahi.
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.”