NNPP crisis festers as NWC dismisses claims by Major faction

By Tunde Opalana

The leadership crisis rocking the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) remains unabated as the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) dismissed claims of authentic leadership by the Agbo Major faction.

Relying on the judgement of an Abuja High Court on Thursday, the Agbo Major faction claimed it has been vindicated over the Ajuri Ahmed NWC and reinstated by the court.

The court dismissed a suit filed by Ahmed’s faction, challenging the legitimacy of the party’s leadership under Major.

Ahmed and 20 other members had approached the court seeking nullification of the recent convention in Lagos State that produced Major as the factional chairman.

But the presiding judge, M.A. Hassan, said the court lacked jurisdiction over the matter bordering on disputes over party leadership and membership.

Ladipo Johnson on behalf of the National Working Committee dismissed the claims by the Agbo Major faction.

Johnson in the statement made available to the media said “the honourable court made no comments on the merits of the case before it, quite naturally, as it stated that it has no jurisdiction.

“Quite expectedly, some of the defendants in the suit who remain expelled from the party have rushed to misinform Nigerians by twisting the judgment.

“Unlike the falsehoods they put out, there was no pronouncement conferring legitimacy or authority on any so-called board of trustees. The court declined jurisdiction on the ground that it is an internal affair of the party.

“Thus, the expulsion of Boniface Aniebonam and his cohorts remains and was never disturbed by the court judgment.

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“The judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja division, delivered on 18/4/2024 affirming the expulsion of Boniface Aniebonam, Major Agbo, Olaposi Oginni, and others has not been set aside and is still subsisting.”

On qualification as a member of the NWC, Johnson said it is a constitutional and statutory matter, while insisting that Ahmed’s group is recognised by the Independent Electoral National Commission, INEC.

“If you inquire at INEC or simply Google the INEC portal, you will not see the names of Boniface Aniebonam, Major Agbo, Olaposi Oginni, and their cohorts as national working committee members of the NNPP.

“There are no records of their activities with INEC as required by the Electoral Act.

“In actual fact, INEC had, in the said suit preceding today’s judgment, by their affidavit before the court, denied knowledge of the existence of this renegade group of persons and any of their purported political activities,” he said.

Johnson then asked Major’s camp to desist from “misinforming the public at every turn”.