Oguntoyinbo dismisses Kwankwaso’s purported suspension from NNPP

… Says presidential candidate remains party’s formidable leader

By Stephen Gbadamosi

A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has dismissed the purported suspension of the party’s presidential candidate in the February 2023 presidential election, Engr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, saying it is a huge joke.

According to him, Kwankwaso remainec a formidable leader of the party.

Oguntoyinbo, who was the governorship candidate of the NNPP in the March 2023 governorship election in Ogun State, said any purported suspension of Kwankwaso was null and void.

In a statement he made available to journalists on Wednesday, Oguntoyinbo said the party, at its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday, accused the Board of Trustees (BoT) chairman, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, and the National Publicity Secretary, Agbo Major, as well as others of anti-party activities and expelled them from the party.

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He said Aniebonam, particularly, was accused of creating a parallel group within the party with a view to causing disaffection in the NNPP.

“Following the National Working Committee (NWC) dissolution of seven state executive committees as well as suspension of the founder and chairman of Board of the BoT, Dr. Aniebonam and Agbo Major, the NEC ratified their expulsion from the party.

“Therefore, the meeting which had in attendance the governor of Kano State, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, and the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Alhaji Jibrin Falgore, in attendance which held at Bolingo Hotel, Abuja expelled Boniface, Major and their cohorts from the NNPP,” be said.

It will be recalled that the BoT of the NNPP had announced the suspension of Kwankwaso for six months for alleged anti-party activities at a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday.

The BoT also said it suspended the NWC of the party and appointed new national officers headed by Dr. Major as acting national chairman and Ogini Olaposi as acting National Secretary with 18 others.

But Oguntoyinbo said suspension of Kwankwaso was null and void, as those who carried out the act were earlier under suspension and as of Tuesday were expelled by the party’s NEC, “making their action illegal, null and void.”

He said the NEC of NNPP had, last Thursday, announced the suspension of Dr. Aniebonam and Major.

“The party said the duo of Aniebonam and Major were suspended pending the determination of investigations by the Disciplinary Committee at the national level of the party.

“The Acting National Chairman of the party, Mallam Abba Kawu Alli, said Aniebonam and Agbo were suspended for anti-party activities.

“Alli said the suspended cohorts had, under Article 391 (7), been involved in anti-party activities and conduct which might likely have an adverse effect on the party or bring hatred, contempt, disrespect or ridicule to the party,” Oguntoyinbo said in the statement.

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