NNPP Accuses El-Rufai of False Claims Regarding Federal Government’s Involvement in Party Crisis
The leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has strongly refuted claims made by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, suggesting that the federal government is involved in the internal crisis within the party, including the expulsion of its 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and the suspension of Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State.
In a statement issued to Vanguard in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the party’s National Secretary, Oginni Sunday, dismissed el-Rufai’s comments as baseless, describing them as “the cry of a drowning man.” He specifically addressed el-Rufai’s allegations that the APC-led federal government was behind the party’s internal issues, calling these claims unfounded and misleading.
El-Rufai, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), had linked the crises in the Labour Party (LP), PDP, and NNPP to the actions of the current government. However, Oginni responded by questioning el-Rufai’s understanding of the situation and accusing him of making baseless accusations against the NNPP leadership.
Oginni asked, “Was it the federal government that encouraged Senator Kwankwaso to seek the NNPP platform in February 2022 by pleading with Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam, accompanied by Buba Galadima and Senator Hunkuyi, to contest the 2023 presidential election?” He also raised concerns about Kwankwaso’s handling of the party’s affairs, alleging that he was involved in financial misconduct, including embezzling funds from nomination forms and donations.
The NNPP official further questioned whether the federal government was responsible for various actions within the party, including the relocation of the party’s situation room to Kwankwaso’s personal residence, the controversial change of the party’s logo, and the illegal convention organized by Kwankwaso’s faction.
Oginni also highlighted the resignation of key figures within the Kano State government and legal actions taken by Kwankwaso and his faction against the party’s founder, Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam, and other top executives.
In response to these unfounded allegations, Oginni issued a 48-hour ultimatum to El-Rufai to issue a public apology for his defamatory remarks. If the apology is not forthcoming, Oginni warned that the NNPP would pursue legal action against el-Rufai for
defamation.
