The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has strongly rejected claims by its former presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, that his exit from the party was driven by external interference.
Kwankwaso had made the assertion while addressing what he described as misleading narratives surrounding his political moves, drawing comparisons between his experience in the NNPP and ongoing developments within the African Democratic Congress.
“We left the NNPP due to externally influenced legal problems that made our stay perilous. The ADC has now also been forced into this difficulty,” Kwankwaso had said.
Responding on Sunday, the founder of the NNPP, Boniface Aniebonam, dismissed the claim, arguing that the former Kano State governor’s own actions led to the crisis within the party.
“The exit of Kwankwaso, Elder Buba Galadima, Dr Ahmed Ajuji and others from the NNPP was not influenced externally but by Kwankwaso’s intense fight to take over the NNPP, a party he did not register,” he said.
Aniebonam further accused Kwankwaso of consistently attributing self-inflicted problems to external forces, describing his conduct as a pattern.
“It was the same attitude that led to the defection of Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State to the All Progressives Congress.
“Kwankwaso and Galadima’s expulsion from the NNPP was ratified by the courts. A man who, without second thoughts, betrayed the trust of his good friend who gave him a free platform to run for the presidential election in 2023. To turn around to make insinuations of external influence is ungodly.
“We warned the ADC. Kwankwaso may still do same in any party he finds himself. He should move on and stop insinuations against his perceived enemies.”
He also questioned Kwankwaso’s claims of external interference, insisting that the internal crisis stemmed from attempts to control the party’s structure.
“We still wonder if it was external influence that advised Kwankwaso to attempt to hijack the NNPP.
“We are fully convinced that the attempt by Kwankwaso and Galadima to hijack the NNPP and convert it to their personal belongings triggered escalating legal battles. Therefore, it is inappropriate for him to claim existence of external influence over the escalated legal battles,” he added.
Aniebonam further pointed to an earlier agreement between the party and the Kwankwasiyya Movement ahead of the 2023 elections, stating that the arrangement was meant to provide a platform for participation at no cost.
“The contract of agreement was for the purposes of the 2023 general elections, which enabled Kwankwaso to contest the presidential election and other elective positions among its members at no cost.
“Kwankwaso came a very distant fourth after President Tinubu, Abubakar Atiku and Peter Obi. However, his members under the Kwankwasiyya Movement as members of NNPP won the governorship and other elective positions in Kano State.
“Unfortunately, Kwankwaso could not manage the success in Kano, leading to mass defection of NNPP members to the APC.
“The worst of his misconduct against the NNPP was the illegal conversion of the original logo and colour symbol of the party, including mutilation of our constitution without the consent of its founding fathers. Was this also externally influenced?” Aniebonam queried.
