By Uche Amunike
A faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to bring its records up to date, concerning the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) membership, explaining that the party’s chieftains like Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and every member of the old National Working Committee, led by Alhaji Abbas Kawu, were still on suspension.
Speaking through a statement issued yesterday by the Chairman of the NNPP board of trustees, Dr. Temitope Aluko, the faction made a plea to the media to respect the constitution of the NNPP, by recognizing only the duly elected officers whose election was guided by the party’s constitution. He further maintained that Rabiu Kwankwaso and the entire members of the old NWC were still on suspension and that INEC lacked the jurisdiction to meddle in the internal affairs of any political party.
He stated: ‘Once again, may we use this public space to remind the INEC, through its chairman, that we have requested the urgent need to update their records of the National Executive Committee of the NNPP.
‘It is instructive to indicate herein that the constitution of the NNPP is supreme and binding on all members, without prejudice to the overarching Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act.“With the nation’s Constitution being the unquestionable ground norm, every other establishment in Nigeria derives its powers of establishment and operations from the said Constitution.’
He reiterated that the authority given to INEC to register, control and regulate political parties are provided in the constitution and that the NNPP is aware of it. He also explained that if INEC got involved, It would look like an avoidable breach of the constitutional rights of Nigerians to have free association.
He continued: ‘What we try to put across herein is simple and unambiguous. The extant powers of the board members of the NNPP about resolution of the party’s internal matters are very clear. The board has powers to call to order, any member who acts contrary to its norms,’ he said.
The BOT chairman said that NNPP chieftains like Kwankwaso, Elder Buba Galadima and the sacked and defunct NWC led by Kawu had been in gross abuse of the constitutional provisions of the new NNPP with impunity.’
He also stated that the manner in which the party’s former National Chairman, Professor Rufai Alkali, Professor Angwe Samuel and Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, as well as others, was a clear indication that the internal administration of the party left much to be desired. He also cited issues bordering on corruption, lack of transparency, high handed and accountability as part of the problems of the members of the defunct NWC of the party. The aforementioned, he said was the reason why the Board of Trustees were forced to invite them for questioning. However, they refused to answer those questions.
Aluko concluded: ‘Indeed, the board had to invoke its inherent powers by calling them all to order and decisively expelling them.The action of the board, having subsequently been ratified by the General Assembly of the Party, has been communicated to the Chairman of INEC, and the commission duly acknowledged the same and pledged to update its records. The surprising and very embarrassing thing today is that INEC is still dealing with the expelled members of the party. This is aside from the fact that this matter is pending before a Federal High Court, with INEC duly served and notified
