The chairs of the New Nigeria People’s Party have rejected the recent dissolution of NNPP’s executives in seven states by the National Working Committee (NWC).
The aggrieved chairs on Thursday described the dissolution as a “gross abuse of power” and ”unacceptable.”
The NWC had, on July 28, 2023, announced the dissolution of the executive councils in seven states (Enugu, Ekiti, Rivers, Niger, Katsina, Kaduna and Zamfara) over anti-party activities.
Its national publicity secretary Major Agwo said a five-man caretaker committee was constituted to run the party’s affairs in the affected states.
But the chairpersons, in a statement in Lagos on Thursday, described the dissolution as ”an injustice” and “sheer irregularity” contravening the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.
The aggrieved chairs are Olaposi Oginni (Ogun), Mamman Damisa (Niger), Harry Richard (Rivers), Umar Ahmed (Katsina), Muhammad Sani (Zamfara), Adisa Falade (Lagos), Sedan Adegbola (Oyo), Nuhu Sanya (Kaduna), Dada Olayinka (Ekiti) and Ibrahim Yahyah (Ex-Officio, North West, Sokoto).
Their statement, signed by party chairs and leaders from Ogun, Niger, Rivers, Katsina, Zamfara, Lagos, Oyo, Kaduna, Sokoto and Ekiti, said they were against the NCW’s action.
According to them, the NWC is being used to witch-hunt loyal party members with no established anti-party activity record.
The statement said, “We wonder why a disciplinary committee would sit without showing those alleged of anti-party activities a copy of the petition written against them? How can the committee come to conclusion without revealing the petitioners and their status in the party?”
The statement said the dissolution was an indication that the NWC was being used to achieve a sinister motive of hijacking the party. It also alleged that the NNPP constitution was amended twice without the knowledge of the party chairs.
“This impunity cannot continue. We wish to say that no rent seeker can chase away a landlord in his own house. Those who traded the party should leave willingly before it is too late,” added the statement. “They should leave our party in peace. We shall not leave our home.”
The aggrieved party stakeholders called on NNPP founder and chairman of the board of trustees, Boniface Aniebonam, to intervene immediately in the crisis.
“It is our hope that the BoT Chairman shall within reasonable time invoke Section 12. 5(a) detailing functions of the Board of Trustees by ensuring highest standards of morality in all activities of the party,” the statement said.
(NAN)
