The NNPP leadership dispute deepens as the party says Rabiu Kwankwaso is not its leader in Kano or nationwide
The New Nigeria Peoples Party has declared that its 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is not the party’s leader in Kano State or at the national level.
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The National Vice Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party in the North West, Alhaji Sani Danmasani, made the assertion in a statement issued on Monday.
Danmasani said the recent exit of Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf from the party did not restore Kwankwaso’s status, stressing that the former presidential candidate had long been expelled from the NNPP alongside members of the Kwankwasiya Movement.
He said the party’s leadership remains with its Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, working with the National Working Committee led by Dr Agbo Major.
Danmasani expressed concern that several media organisations still refer to Kwankwaso as the leader of the party, describing the claim as misleading and inaccurate.
He said the NNPP had both internal disciplinary records and court judgments confirming the expulsion of Kwankwaso and others, including Dr Ahmed Ajuji and Elder Buba Galadima.
According to him, the Abia State High Court and the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja upheld the expulsions, giving them legal backing.
Danmasani added that the Abuja court also issued an enrolment order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from engaging with Kwankwaso or the Ajuji-led faction, pending the outcome of a judicial review.
He dismissed reports linking the issue to INEC’s database, describing it as an administrative matter that does not override court orders.
He said updates to the commission’s records would be effected once administrative procedures and judicial processes are concluded.
Danmasani stressed that INEC does not determine party membership or leadership, noting that court orders remain binding unless set aside by a superior court.
He urged the media to stop presenting Kwankwaso as the NNPP leader, warning that such reports could mislead political actors amid ongoing negotiations and realignments.
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Danmasani said the clarification was necessary to protect the party’s image and encourage politicians of integrity to engage with the NNPP without fear of internal confusion.
