LAGOS, Nigeria — The National Executive Committee, NEC, of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, has expelled Rabiu Kwankwaso following his alleged refusal to appear before the party’s Disciplinary Committee.
Senator Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State and the party’s presidential candidate for 2023 general elections, was initially suspended during a National Convention held on August 29.
In a statement released on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, Mr. Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, the Acting National Publicity Secretary of NNPP, confirmed that the decision to expel Kwankwaso was made during an emergency session of the NEC held on September 1.
The expulsion comes from Kwankwaso’s alleged engagement in “gross anti-party activities” and campaign and party funds mismanagement.
The NEC had set up a Disciplinary Committee specifically to look into these allegations.
The committee extended a written invitation to Sen. Kwankwaso, asking him to defend himself against these charges within five days.
According to the NNPP constitution 2022 (as amended), failure to respond would result in his expulsion.
“Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso did not appear before the disciplinary committee, despite being duly invited in writing,” Abdulrasaq said in the statement. “As a result, he is hereby expelled from the NNPP immediately.”
The committee will also forward the matter to “appropriate quarters” for further investigations into allegations of “financial impropriety relating to mismanagement of public funds,” according to the statement.
This expulsion adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing crisis within the NNPP.
The internal strife initially escalated when a faction of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, which was loyal to Kwankwaso, announced the suspension of the NNPP founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, and the National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Agbo Major, on August 24.
The party now faces an uncertain future, especially with the upcoming 2023 elections.
The expulsion of the presidential candidate under such allegations could severely tarnish the party’s reputation and electoral prospects.
The NNPP will likely need to act quickly to stabilize its internal structures and rebuild public trust if it hopes to remain a viable political force.
