The national leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has strongly criticized former governor of Kaduna Nasir el-Rufai, for attributing the party’s ongoing crisis to interference from the federal government.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the factional national secretary of NNPP Oginni Olaposi, dismissed el-Rufai’s claims, stating that he does not fully understand the underlying causes of the party’s internal turmoil.
El-Rufai, in a video circulating on social media, recently suggested that the crisis in opposition parties, including the NNPP, was engineered by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled federal government. He specifically referred to the expulsion of Rabiu Kwankwaso, the NNPP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, alleging that it was “contrived” to destabilize the party.
El-Rufai, who resigned from the APC and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Monday, made the remarks during a meeting with SDP leaders.
“RETRACT YOUR COMMENT”
Responding to these accusations, Olaposi rejected the assertion that the federal government was involved in Kwankwaso’s expulsion, calling the allegation “unfounded.” He demanded that el-Rufai issue an “unreserved apology” to the national leadership of the party for his baseless claims.
Olaposi further sought to clarify the events that led to the crisis, urging el-Rufai to direct his friend, Kwankwaso, to answer several pointed questions to understand the origins of the dispute:
- “Was it the federal government that asked Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to approach Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam in February 2022, where he was seen pleading for the NNPP platform alongside Buba Galadima, Senator Hunkuyi, and others?”
- “Was it the federal government that instructed Kwankwaso to insult the founder of the NNPP, Dr. Aniebonam?”
- “Did the federal government influence Kwankwaso to file a lawsuit against the party leadership at the Kano State High Court, challenging his expulsion?”
- “Did the federal government prevent Kwankwaso and Governor Abba Yusuf from attending a disciplinary committee meeting intended to resolve the internal crisis?”
Olaposi concluded by challenging el-Rufai to press Kwankwaso to answer these questions before making further accusations. The NNPP spokesperson also demanded a public apology from the former governor, warning that failure to do so within 48 hours would lead to legal action for defamatory statements against the party leadership.
The NNPP Crisis
The rift within the NNPP became public after the 2023 elections, leading to a significant division within the party. In September 2023, a faction led by Agbo Major suspended and eventually expelled Kwankwaso over allegations of anti-party activities and financial mismanagement. However, another faction, consisting of Kwankwaso’s loyalists, reversed the suspension, further deepening the party’s internal conflict.
