The National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Agbo Major, says the Rabiu Kwankwaso faction is still out. Major was elected as the party’s new National Chairman after the Kwankwaso group boycotted Tuesday’s convention.
The faction maintained that Dr. Ajuji Ahmed is still the only officially recognized National Chairman of the party and that the convention that was held in Lagos State was invalid.
In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, Ladipo Johnson, the party’s publicity secretary, spoke on behalf of the faction and called Major’s faction a renegade gang.
Major, however, said Tuesday’s convention was lawful and supported by a recent court ruling during a press conference held in Abuja on Saturday.
“The recent ruling of the Abia High Court on November 1, 2024, clearly required INEC to transfer our party to its Board of Trustees, which is headed by Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam, until all court-related matters are resolved,” he stated.
As you may remember, the same ruling required the BOT to activate all other party institutions as specified in the party’s 2022 modified constitution in order to facilitate smooth operation.
“All required correspondence was conducted with INEC in complete accordance with this court’s ruling, and the congresses with Wards nationally began on January 13, 2024. It went on for days.
However, an interim injunction from the FCT High Court temporarily put a halt to the national convention that was scheduled for January 22, 2025.
However, it was ended on February 4, 2025, at the Rockview Hotel in Apapa, Lagos, following the expiration of the temporary order.
Major stated that the confirmation of the ward-to-zonal congresses, the expulsion of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, and the Kwankwassiya group from the party were among the convention’s high points.
He went on to say that among other notable moments were the party’s financial assessment, the alleged new logo’s rejection, and the decision to go back to the previous one.
The convention’s highlights included approving all ward-to-zonal congresses, approving the expulsion of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Buba Galadima, and the entire Kwankwassiya group from the party after the MOU that brought them together expired, electing a new National Working Committee with me as its national chairman (see list attached), reviewing the party’s finances, rejecting the alleged new logo, and agreeing to return to the basket of fruits on the Nigerian map logo, among other things.
It is noteworthy that the BOT, chaired by Dr. Aniebonam, finished the task on February 4, 2025, in accordance with the Abia High Court’s instructions. We are certain that INEC records will be updated within the next several days, since all pertinent submissions have been submitted.
I implore the body to act morally and in accordance with the law. We urge the remaining members of the Kwankwassiya group to leave our beloved party in peace and seek refuge elsewhere, just as their leaders are currently doing.