Don’t misinform Nigerians – NNPP rejects claims of Mayor’s NWC being reinstated by court

The Ajuji Ahmed-led New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, has rejected the statements by a faction of the party led by Agbo Major, claiming it has been reinstated by a court of law.

The NNPP under Ahmed’s leadership is aligned with a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who was the party's presidential candidate in 2023 while Major’s faction is loyal to Boniface Aniebonam, the party founder.

An Abuja High Court had on Thursday dismissed a suit filed by Ahmed’s faction, challenging the legitimacy of the party’s leadership under Major.

The case was brought before the court by Ahmed and 20 others, seeking to nullify the recent convention in Lagos State that produced Major as the factional chairman and other elected National Working Committee, NWC, members.

The plaintiffs also urged the court to bar the officials and the board of trustees, BoT, from gathering as NNPP in any form, alleging that Major and those with him had been expelled from the NNPP over “anti-party activities”;.

However, the presiding judge, M.A. Hassan, said the court lacked jurisdiction over the matter, he maintained that the disputes over party leadership and membership fall outside judicial intervention.

Lawyer to the defendant, Segun Fiki, spoke to journalists after the ruling, saying that Major and Aniebonam were recognized as the party’s authentic leadership.

However, in a statement on Thursday night, the spokesperson of the Ahmed faction of the party, Ladipo Johnson, dismissed the claims.

The statement said, “The honourable court made no comments on the merits of the case before it, quite naturally, as it stated that it has no jurisdiction.

“Quite expectedly, some of the defendants in the suit who remain expelled from the party have rushed to misinform Nigerians by twisting the judgment.

“Unlike the falsehoods they put out, there was no pronouncement conferring legitimacy or authority on any so-called board of trustees. The court declined jurisdiction on the ground that it is an internal affair of the party.

“Thus, the expulsion of Boniface Aniebonam and his cohorts remains and was never disturbed by the court judgment.

“The judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja division, delivered on 18/4/2024 affirming the expulsion of Boniface Aniebonam, Major Agbo, Olaposi Oginni, and others has not been set aside and is still subsisting.”;

Johnson said the issue of who qualifies as a member of the NWC is a constitutional and statutory matter, noting that Ahmed’s group is recognised by the Independent Electoral National Commission, INEC.

“If you inquire at INEC or simply Google the INEC portal, you will not see the names of Boniface Aniebonam, Major Agbo, Olaposi Oginni, and their cohorts as national working committee members of the NNPP.

“There are no records of their activities with INEC as required by the Electoral Act.

“In actual fact, INEC had, in the said suit preceding today’s judgment, by their affidavit before the court, denied knowledge of the existence of this renegade group of persons and any of their purported political activities.”;

Johnson then asked Major’s camp to desist from “misinforming the public at every turn”;.