Founder of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Boniface Aniebonam, has disagreed with the former presidential candidate of the party, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso, over the change in the party’s logo and the constitution by holding a hurriedly arranged national convention despite a court order.
Aniebonam, who was having an interactive session with journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, also took a swipe at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for allowing the change in the party’s logo, colour, and the amendment of the party constitution.
Tribune Online reports that the Kwakwanso-led NNPP had last week in Abuja amended the party’s constitution, changed the colour from blue and green to complete red and the logo changed from basket full of harvest with different fruits with Nigeria’s flag as background to a convocation cap on a book with red and white background.
The founder said the main objective of founding the party in 2001 was to create space and choice for ordinary Nigerians as well as accommodating every Nigerian regardless of tribal, ethnic, or religious affiliations. He said all he desired was a better Nigeria which he said the coming in of Kwakwanso has frustrated. He, however, added that what the party is presently on through is internal democracy as he promised to see the case in court to a logical conclusion “even if it takes 10 years.”
Aniebonam said as a life member of the party, no one can expel him from the party as it is enshrined in the NNPP constitution adding that the original certificate of the party is still with him.
“I founded this party in 2001 with the aim of creating a space and choice for ordinary Nigerians. But it is no longer representing its name. All I wanted was a better Nigeria which Kwankwaso and the rest have frustrated. I am the founder and the chairman of the board of trustees of the party. It is also written in the constitution that I am a life member of the board. That means you cannot wake up tomorrow and say you have sacked me.
“But this Kwankwaso and his unemployed characters seem to be going about saying they have sacked the founder. Don’t you think something is wrong with them?
“Secondly, their penchant for disobeying the law and disrespecting court orders is unbelievable. You don’t have to be a lawyer to know that once a matter is before the court, everybody must remain in its original position pending the determination of the suit.
“The NNPP registration certificate is still in my possession. As of the time INEC approved the amending of the constitution and changing of the logo, didn’t it request the original certificate? What exactly is wrong with INEC? All I can say is that the chairman of INEC should improve on his supervision in the commission he is managing,” Aniebonam told Tribune Online.
However in a phone interview with Tribune Online on Wednesday night in Abuja, the national publicity secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, said Aniebonam is no longer a party member as he was suspended and subsequently expelled from NNPP and cannot lay claim to the party.
“He (Aniebonam) should be asked to show any court order that stopped the convention. What happened was that they filed for an injunction. We were served, INEC were served, we appeared, INEC appeared and the judge threw out their prayers, dismissed it, said to them “You are not even members of the party any longer. Even in your submissions, you have said that you have been expelled. So you cannot stop what the party is doing”.
“Do the case to the end if it favours you it is not something you dissipated. So you can’t get an injunction for it. What they don’t tell people is that they’ve lost about five cases. They are now going on appeal which is their right but they should tell people “We don’t agree, they have judgment but we are appealing it. They won’t say that. They just come and tell half-truth and INEC knows what is going on. INEC has followed everything from the first convention and you know INEC will always go with what the people say and that is the convention. They (INEC) come, they take minutes, they follow. They know who the national chairman is, who the secretary is, and everything.
“So, my answer to him is that the man is delusional. I’m not insulting him, he is deluded. Because if you have all these cases and in one or two you have filed appeal, why are you coming to misinform the public? So, the logo and the constitution were amended at a properly constituted convention on the 6th of April this year with INEC directors seated. That was when the logo was shown and assented to by all members at the convention.
“The reason for the delay is that INEC has now to look at it and see that it doesn’t conflict with the constitution or any other parties’ logo before giving permission. The convention hold in July and that is why we presented it, we didn’t unveil it. And that’s why we p
