Dare Babalola
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has rejected claims by its 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, that his departure from the party was driven by external influence, insisting instead that internal conflicts and alleged attempts to control the party structure were responsible for the fallout.
Kwankwaso, in a recent statement addressing public discussions surrounding political realignments and his past exit from the NNPP, had argued that his departure, like ongoing tensions within other political platforms, was linked to externally influenced legal challenges that made his continued stay in the party “perilous.”
He drew a parallel between his experience in the NNPP and current developments in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), suggesting that similar patterns of interference and internal instability were affecting political parties.
However, reacting on Sunday, the founder of the NNPP, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, dismissed Kwankwaso’s claims, describing them as misleading and self-serving. He said the former presidential candidate’s exit, alongside that of other prominent figures such as Elder Buba Galadima and Dr Ahmed Ajuji, was not the result of external interference but stemmed from what he described as an internal struggle to take over the party structure.
Aniebonam maintained that Kwankwaso had consistently attempted to assert control over the NNPP despite not being one of its original founders or registered owners, adding that such actions led to prolonged internal disagreements and eventual legal disputes.
He further accused Kwankwaso of a pattern of attributing personal or political setbacks to external forces, saying this narrative had followed him across different political engagements. According to him, even the emergence of Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf’s political trajectory was affected by similar internal tensions that culminated in defections to other parties.
The NNPP founder also referenced court rulings which, according to him, affirmed the legitimacy of decisions taken by the party regarding the expulsion of Kwankwaso and Galadima. He insisted that claims of external influence were unfounded, arguing that the legal battles that followed were triggered by attempts to alter the party’s structure and identity.
Aniebonam recalled the agreement between the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement ahead of the 2023 general elections, noting that it was strictly a political arrangement aimed at facilitating participation in the elections. He said the agreement enabled Kwankwaso to contest the presidential election and allowed members of the movement to vie for elective positions under the party platform.
He noted that while Kwankwaso finished fourth in the presidential race, members of his political bloc secured significant victories in Kano State, including the governorship. However, he alleged that subsequent internal disagreements and leadership challenges led to a breakdown in cohesion within the party in the state.
Aniebonam also accused Kwankwaso of contributing to internal instability and alleged mass defections of party members in Kano. He further raised concerns over what he described as attempts to alter the party’s official identity, including its logo, colour scheme, and constitution, without proper consultation with founding members.
He maintained that these actions, rather than any external interference, were the root causes of the legal and political disputes that followed, adding that Kwankwaso should accept responsibility for his role in the crisis and move on from the controversy.
