NNPP crisis: Court squashes Kwankwaso suspension

…stops INEC from recognising Aniebonam, Agbo

Justice Usman Mallam Na’abba of the Kano State High Court, on Tuesday, set aside the suspension of a former Governor of Kano State and presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party in the 2023 election, Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso by its founding National Chairman, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam and National Publicity Secretary, Major Agbo and 16 others.

While restraining them from parading themselves as national officers or leaders of the party pending the hearing and determination of the motion of notice, he also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the purported suspension, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

On August 29, 2023, the members led by NNPP chieftains, Aniebonam and Agbo, suspended Kwankwaso for six months on the allegation of hobnobbing with politicians outside the party.

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Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, came fourth in the 2023 presidential election.

The Aniebonam and Major group, which controls the NNPP Board of Trustees said “material evidence” in public affirmed that Kwankwaso was involved in “anti-party activities in various meetings” and political discussions with President Bola Tinubu, then candidate of the All Progressives Congress, his Peoples Democratic Party, counterpart, Atiku Abubakar; and candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

They subsequently expelled Kwankwaso over “failure to appear before the Disciplinary Committee.”

Aniebonam and Agbo group also accused Kwankwaso of “financial impropriety relating to the mismanagement of public funds.”

However, the Kano court restrained Aniebonam, Agbo, and 16 other respondents from parading themselves as party officials and fixed October 5, 2023, for hearing of the case.

Justice Na’abba said, “It is, hereby, ordered as follows: An order of interim injunction is, hereby, granted, restraining the respondents by themselves, their agents, cronies, and whosoever is acting or act through them from parading themselves, issuing press releases or granting interviews as national officers, leaders or members of the applicant (NNPP), pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

“An order of interim injunction is, hereby, granted setting aside the purported suspension of Senator Kwankwaso as a member of the applicant and restrains the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the purported suspension pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion on notice.”