The Founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Boniface Aniebonam, has rejected claims by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, that his exit from the party was caused by externally influenced legal problems.
Aniebonam, in a statement on Sunday, May 3, said Kwankwaso’s departure from the party was not influenced by outside forces but by what he described as the former Kano State governor’s attempt to take over a party he did not establish.
His reaction followed Kwankwaso’s comment on Saturday, where he drew a comparison between the crisis in the African Democratic Congress and the circumstances that led to his exit from the NNPP.
Kwankwaso had, in a statement addressing what he called “misleading narratives” in the public domain about his departure from the ADC, said ongoing discussions about a possible realignment within the party were premature.
He also claimed that his exit from the NNPP followed legal challenges that made continued membership of the party difficult.
Kwankwaso had said, “We left the NNPP due to externally influenced legal problems that made our stay perilous. The ADC has now also been forced into this difficulty.”
But Aniebonam dismissed the claim, insisting that Kwankwaso was responsible for the crisis that led to his exit from the party.
He said, “The exit of Kwankwaso, Elder Buba Galadima, Dr Ahmed Ajuji and others from the NNPP was not influenced externally but by Kwankwaso’s intense fight to take over the NNPP, a party he did not register.”
According to him, Kwankwaso has a habit of blaming external influence for problems he created.
Aniebonam also linked the development to the defection of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the same attitude created political consequences for the Kwankwasiyya bloc.
He said, “It was the same attitude that led to the defection of Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State to the All Progressives Congress.
“Kwankwaso and Galadima’s expulsion from the NNPP was ratified by the courts. A man who, without second thoughts, betrayed the trust of his good friend who gave him a free platform to run for the presidential election in 2023. To turn around to make insinuations of external influence is ungodly.”
The NNPP founder said the party had warned the ADC about the possibility of facing similar challenges.
He alleged that Kwankwaso could repeat the same conduct in any political party he joins.
Aniebonam said, “We warned the ADC. Kwankwaso may still do same in any party he finds himself. He should move on and stop insinuations against his perceived enemies.
“We still wonder if it was external influence that advised Kwankwaso to attempt to hijack the NNPP.”
“We are fully convinced that the attempt by Kwankwaso and Galadima to hijack the NNPP and convert it to their personal belongings triggered escalating legal battles. Therefore, it is inappropriate for him to claim existence of external influence over the escalated legal battles,” he added.
Aniebonam Cites 2023 Agreement
Aniebonam said Kwankwaso and Galadima appeared to have forgotten the Memorandum of Association entered into between the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya Movement ahead of the 2023 general elections.
According to him, the agreement allowed Kwankwaso and members of his movement to contest elections under the NNPP platform without cost.
He said, “The contract of agreement was for the purposes of the 2023 general elections, which enabled Kwankwaso to contest the presidential election and other elective positions among its members at no cost.”
The NNPP founder noted that Kwankwaso came a distant fourth in the presidential election behind President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi.
He added that although members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement won the governorship and other elective positions in Kano State on the NNPP platform, Kwankwaso failed to manage the success properly.
Founder Accuses Kwankwaso Of Misconduct
Aniebonam further alleged that Kwankwaso’s actions later led to mass defections of NNPP members to the APC.
He also accused him of unlawfully altering the party’s identity and internal documents.
He said, “Unfortunately, Kwankwaso could not manage the success in Kano, leading to mass defection of NNPP members to the APC.”
“The worst of his misconduct against the NNPP was the illegal conversion of the original logo and colour symbol of the party, including mutilation of our constitution without the consent of its founding fathers. Was this also externally influenced?” Aniebonam queried.
The exchange has again brought attention to the lingering crisis within the NNPP and the broader realignments among opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
