NNPP YOUTHS ASK KWANKWASO AND SUPPORTERS TO QUIT PARTY
By Mcanthony Onuoha
The Youth Wing of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) has called on the Former Governor of Kano State and Presidential candidate of the New Nigerian People’s Party in 2023 general election, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso, and his supporters to hands off the party without further delay.
Recall that Senator Kwakwanso, after the 2023 presidential election, which he came a distant fourth, only winning his home State, Kano, started perfecting plans to hijack the entire party structure, which subsequently, triggered series of court cases of which some are still ongoing while some have been concluded .
The major moves made by the Former Governor of Kano State was hijacking the party structure, which was, alteration of NNPP constitution, and outright change of party logo, colours and flag. And these moves were vehemently resisted by the Founder of the Party, Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam, who also doubles as Chairman, Board of Trustees of NNPP.
In a statement issued by NNPP Lagos State Youths Leader, Fwdr. Philip Emeka Nwankwo, he expressed disappointment in Senator Kwakwanso and his actions, saying that his intention was to utterly destroy the party. He accused him of desecrating a party that gave him overwhelming support in 2023.
According to Fwdr. Nwankwo, ” what has happened in NNPP since after the 2023 general election boldly attests to the fact that Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso has very sinister intentions to hijack the party from the original owners. The party did not enter into any agreement with Kwakwanso as a person but with Kwankwasiyya Movement, and that agreement was to allow their principal run for president under NNPP. We, the NNPP Youths are highly disappointed in Sen. Kwakwanso, who at his level in politics, has refused to conduct himself in a manner deserving of respect and honour. Allowing sen. Kwakwanso to bear the flag of the party in 2023 was a monumental mistake because his actions desecrated the NNPP, and caused disunity and loss of both human and capital resources to the party. ”
“There is no modicum of doubt that Kwakwanso’s actions have brought so much pains to NNPP, and has continued to foster division in the party. He singlehandedly, changed the party logo and colour to that of his school in Maitama, without consulting the Founder, he altered the constitution and came up with his own version, which the Youths see as an affront to the party.”
” We are no longer comfortable with Sen. Kwakwanso and his supporters. The Youths that welcomed him when he came to Lagos before the 2023 general elections are the same Youths that are urging him to quit the party, he is no longer trusted. And there is no how a party can progress with someone whose intention is to destroy the party for selfish reasons .”
“When he was invited by the Disciplinary Committee of the party, he never honoured that invitation. He feels he is bigger than the party, and is not answerable to anybody. So, we are asking him to leave the party in peace the same way he met it in 2023. He has refused to come down from his high horse, he has to hands off as he is no longer a member of the party.
Those that have continued to nudge him on will soon regret their actions. Somebody like Ladipo Johnson, unemployed character like Dipo Olayoku and some others who are bent on destroying the party. And these people have all been expelled from the party but the keep creating confusion here and there. Why can’t Kwakwanso register his Kwankwasiyya Movement as a political party since he feels he is so popular, let him do that and leave us in peace.”
” Our party is meant for the Youths, and the name alone attests to the uniqueness of the party, it has vision for a new Nigeria, and those that will drive that new Nigeria are the Youths. If you go down the history of Nigeria’s democracy, which commenced immediately after the military era, you will discover that those who had at one time or the other, served as president are older than Nigeria. The youths have not taken their rightful place since the inception of democracy in this country. The same old brigade, the same names we heard at childhood are still the same people piloting the affairs of the country, it is unacceptable.”
“We need to do a new thing. Kwakwanso, Ladipo Johnson, Dipo Olayoku and Buba Galadima should leave NNPP alone. Dr. B.O. Aniebonam gave him the platform to run for president without collecting even a dime from him, it is on record, and he is taking that for granted because we allowed him. He does not want to respect the party hierarchy and wants to lord it over everyone. Since he sees himself to be bigger than the party, why not quit the party and allow us some peace and quiet.”
” Our convention has come and gone, and Dr. Gilbert Agbo Major and his National Working Committee (NWC) were retained, while all elected members of the party in the 2023 general election were given return tickets. The party is not expecting Kwakwanso to come back to the party. I heard from the grapevine, that the Kwakwanso and his supporters are faulting the convention that was held in Lagos few days ago, and l ask, why are they faulting convention of a party they do not belong to, what is their business. I think it is high time they had a rethink, they should leave NNPP alone, the distraction has to stop.”
” The convention was very successful. The party made it in a way that every state was represented. Times are hard, we all know, and that was why we did not go out there to hire crowd the way other parties do. NNPP is so dear to us, and we do not have any other party. That is why we are guarding it jealously. We do not need spoilers in our midst. And l want to assure those who come with the intention to destroy the party that they will be paid back in their own coin”, Nwankwo said.
