NNPP Re-elects Ahmed Ajuji as Chairman, Signals Major Push for 2027 Elections

With the 2027 elections in view, the NNPP has returned Dr Ahmed Ajuji as National Chairman, as party leaders reaffirmed unity and national expansion at a convention in Abuja.

Kano Corruption Agency to Quiz Kwankwaso’s Nephew

Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) has secured a post no debit on account linked to the alleged local government contract scam in the state, blocking N160million while moving to recover N440million.   This is as investigators of the commission are expected to continue the quizzing of some of the key figures in the investigation.   It was also gathered that Musa Garba Kwankwaso, nephew of the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, will be quizzed by the investigators, on Thursday.   He is expected to answer questions regarding the involvement of his company, Novomed Pharmaceuticals, in the alleged contract scam.   The contract, said to have been awarded without due process, involves each local government paying about N9 million monthly, amounting to N396 million in total every month.   The scandal came to the fore when Bello Galadanchi, a United States-born Nigerian filmmaker and content creator, alleged that the state government directed each of the 44 local government councils to pay about N10 million for the drug supply, with the contract awarded exclusively to Novomed Pharmaceuticals.   According to Galadanchi, 25 local governments, including Tofa, Bebeji, Dambatta, Dawakin Tofa, Doguwa, Kumbotso, Tudun Wada, Gezawa, Ungogo, Warawa, Ajingi, Kabo, Kura, Madobi, Bichi, Gwarzo, Rogo, Garun Mallam, Takai, Shanono, Kiru, Makoda, Nasarawa, and Gabasawa, have already made payments for August to the company’s account.   Critics had alleged lack of transparency in the dealings of the local governments’ interim management committees appointed by Governor Yusuf in March, after the tenures of the elected council chairmen expired.   Governor Yusuf had, late last week, distanced himself from the contract by denying prior knowledge of the deal and ordering an immediate probe into the matter.   In an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, the chairman of the PCACC, Muhuyi Magaji, said: “We’ve already issued invitations to about five or six individuals, including the permanent secretary of the Ministry for Local Governments, the Director of Planning, and the Director of Local Government Inspection”.   He said the commission also summoned the chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Kano State, the state secretary of the association, as well as the chairman of the Local Governments Directors of Personnel Management Forum. Also invited is the public relations officer of the forum.  

Why I Appointed Kwankwaso’s Son As Commissioner – Gov Yusuf Explains

Kano state Governor, Abba Yusuf, has explained the rationale behind the appointment of Mustapha Kwankwaso, son of former Governor of Kano state and National Leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as a member of his cabinet. Yusuf appointed Kwankwaso’s son, alongside three others for commissioner position in the state. The Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Jibril Falgore, confirmed the receipt of the executive list during a plenary session on Tuesday. He announced that the screening of the commissioner nominees will commence early next week, marking the next step in formalizing their appointments. Reacting to the outburst that greeted the development, Yusuf, in a statement titled “In Defence of Mustapha Kwankwaso’s appointment.” issued through the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Kano Government House, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, said Kwankwaso has promoted many young people including men and women. The Governor clarified that Mustapha’s appointment was not payback, but he is among the capable youth who worked tirelessly for the success of the present administration in Kano. The Statement reads: “Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has promoted hundreds of thousands of young men and women, many of them sons and daughters of common men and women. “He promoted children of nobody to become somebody in the eyes of world today and he also created platforms and political spaces for many of us from humble backgrounds to occupy various elective and appointment positions at Local, State and Federal Government levels. “One of Sen. Kwankwaso’s beneficiaries, The Executive Governor of Kano decided to promote the son of his benefactor, not really as a pay but because Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso is among the capable youth who worked tirelessly to the success of the present administration in Kano. “The Governor empowers youths and allow them to explore their potentials. Certainly, Mustapha cannot be an exception due to his paternal history, that shouldn’t be a barrier to his political career as he has decided to be a politician, like his father.”

Kwankwaso pays solidarity visit to suspended Bauchi senator, Abdul Ningi

Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria Peoples Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, has paid a solidarity visit to suspended Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi. Senator Ningi, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial district, was suspended by the Senate following his interview with the BBC Hausa Service, in which he alleged budget padding against the Senate leadership. The former majority leader of the Senate was suspended for three months after Senator Jimoh Ibrahim moved the motion. Senator Ningi’s suspension has since sparked debate and raised concerns about freedom of expression within the Senate. His allegations of budget padding have drawn attention to issues of transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s legislative processes.

NNPP makes U-turn, denies suspending Kwankwaso

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has refuted the purported suspension of Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, the 2023 Presidential Candidate from the party.Mr Ladipo Johnson, the NNPP National Auditor, stated this at a news conference on Wednesday the party’s National Headquarters in Abuja.Johnson, a former spokesperson for Kwankwanso Presidential Campaign Council, said that the suspension was null and void.A faction of the party headed by a former Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Mr Boniface Aniebonan had on Tuesday suspended Kwankwaso for six months over alleged anti-party activities, after a parallel National Executive Committee (NEC) in Lagos.It also appointed the former National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Major Agbo as the acting National Chairman.But, Johnson said that Aniebonam and Agbo were on August 24 suspended for three months for engaging in unwholesome acts before they were later expelled from the party.He added that the party NEC, at its meeting on Tuesday in Abuja which was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), took certain decisions including the election of new national officials, change of the party logo and expulsion of Aniebonam and Agbo.“Is it not funny that all those people either suspended or expelled would gather somewhere and claim to have suspended Kwankwaso and also dissolve the NWC? “The jokers also appointed a CTC made up of those people who have ceased to be members of the party by virtue of our constitution. “Was INEC at the meeting? Did they write INEC? Who and who signed the letter? “Is it not laughable that Major Agbo, who announced the suspension of the former chairmen, the expulsion of two of them, and the dissolution of some of the states is now purportedly “heading” their caretaker committee,” Johnson said. He said it was unfortunate that some people had reduced politics and party administration to huge jokes. “The news that one person will sit somewhere and arrogate certain powers to himself is not permissible in a democracy. “We are using this medium to assure our supporters all over the country that there is no substance in the story. “Kwankwaso remains the face of the party, has not been suspended, and the NWC under Ali remains intact,’’ he said.Johnson however, admitted that Kwankwaso was invited to meetings by President Bola Tinubu on some issues saying that the meetings were far from being anti-party activities. He said that while Kwankwaso always took permission before attending such meetings, no conclusion had so far been reached from the meetings. He also denied the allegation that Kwankwaso hijacked the party from members who were in the party before he joined with his movement in February 2022. Johnson, however, said that the party leadership would do its best for possible reconciliation. Also speaking, Mr Oluwatosin Odeyemi, the Chairman, forum of NNPP state chairmen, said the purported suspension of Kwankwaso was politics of bitterness. “Let me remind you that the present secretary of that group was expelled from this party and Agbo was the one who read it out that he had been expelled. Agbo attended all the meetings of that committee. “So, you can see that it’s politics of bitterness. Something you read is something you agreed with. It was not as if you were pressure to read a release as the national publicity secretary. “So now an expelled person that you confirm his explosion is whom you are now regarding so as yours, secretary,’’ Odeyemi said.

NNPP BoT suspends Kwankwaso, others for hobnobbing with Tinubu, Atiku

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has taken a decisive step by suspending Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, their presidential candidate in the February 25th election, due to alleged anti-party activities. In a similar vein, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party has also been suspended. This move has been coupled with the appointment of new national officers to ensure the smooth functioning of the party during this period. Dr. Agbo Major has been designated as the acting National Chairman, while Mr. Ogini Olaposi will serve as the acting National Secretary, both supported by 18 other individuals. The suspension, set for a duration of six months, was voted on during the party’s special general assembly, which took place at Rockview Hotels in Apapa. This course of action comes after the NWC of the party, on August 24th, suspended the party’s founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, and the National Publicity Secretary, Major. Secretary of the BoT, Babayo Muhammed Abdulahi, addressed the media after the meeting in Lagos, highlighting Kwankwaso’s alleged affiliations with President Bola Tinubu, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), without obtaining authorization from the board. As a consequence, Abdullahi announced the revocation of Kwankwaso’s position as the NNPP national leader. Abdulahi further emphasized that the suspension of the NNPP founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, was a blatant and severe violation of the party’s constitution. He clarified that Aniebonam had already resigned from the position of BoT Chairman, leading to the election of Dr. Chief Tope Aluko as the new BoT Chairman, and Abdulahi as the new BoT Secretary. High Chief Tony Obioha was also elected as the BoT spokesperson. Abdulahi also stressed that the pre-election Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Kwankwasia Movement, The National Movement (TNM), and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has been invalidated by the actions of the NWC. Abdulahi said: “The purported suspension of the founder is a flagrant gross violation of the NNPP constitution such that it is tantamount to recklessness and irresponsibility on the part of the incompetent NWC. “The BoT decided that material evidence in the public sector affirmed that Kwankwaso was involved in anti-party activities in various meetings, suggest political discussions with the President, Atiku and Obi without authorisation from the board. “This has earned him six months suspension pending the outcome of investigation by the Disciplinary Committee. “The BOT insisted that the avoidable violation of MoU between NNPP on the one part and Kwankwasia, TNM and NAGAFF on the other has no other choice than to withdraw from the partnership. “It is therefore to state clearly that the MOU have been rendered void.” Also speaking, the acting chairman said his team would hit the ground running by healing the wounds created by the suspended NWC members. Major said the party would remain the most ordinary friendly party in the country and urged other members that are displaced for one reason or the other to return to its fold. “We don’t intend to shut anybody out or censor anybody but we want to ensure that we remain on track and maintain our people-oriented ideology,” he said. The special general assembly meeting was attended by the new NWC and members from across the country.