NNPP pushes back against Kwankwaso's claims, insists departure was not driven by outside forces

The New Nigeria Peoples Party has categorically denied claims made by its former presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, that his departure from the party was the result of external pressures, labeling such assertions as deceptive.

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Kwankwaso had earlier issued a statement on Saturday, refuting what he termed as "misleading narratives" surrounding his political maneuvers, and implied that speculation about potential realignments within the African Democratic Congress was premature.

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He drew parallels between the African Democratic Congress's current internal struggles and his own exit from the New Nigeria Peoples Party, attributing his departure to "externally influenced legal problems" that made his continued presence in the party unsustainable.

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However, in a response on Sunday, the founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Boniface Aniebonam, dismissed Kwankwaso's claim, asserting that the former governor's exit was a self-inflicted consequence.

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Aniebonam stated, "Kwankwaso has always been his own personal problem," and added that the former governor's departure, along with associates such as Buba Galadima and Dr Ahmed Ajuji, was a result of an alleged attempt to seize control of the party.

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According to Aniebonam, the crisis within the New Nigeria Peoples Party was sparked by internal power struggles rather than any external interference, and that Kwankwaso's intense bid to take over the party he did not found led to his exit.

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Aniebonam further accused Kwankwaso of consistently attributing his personal political setbacks to external factors, linking it to broader developments within the party, including the defection of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to the All Progressives Congress.

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The New Nigeria Peoples Party founder noted that the expulsion of Kwankwaso and Galadima from the party had been upheld by the courts, and that their actions, including alleged attempts to alter the party's structure and identity, escalated internal disputes.

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Aniebonam clarified that the Memorandum of Association between the New Nigeria Peoples Party and the Kwankwasiyya Movement was specifically for the 2023 general elections, providing Kwankwaso with a platform to contest the presidency.

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Kwankwaso ultimately finished fourth in the 2023 presidential election, behind President Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi, while the New Nigeria Peoples Party secured electoral victories in Kano State.

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Aniebonam alleged that the party's post-election challenges in Kano, including defections, were a direct result of Kwankwaso's handling of political success in the state, and also accused the former presidential candidate of unilaterally altering the party's logo, colours, and constitution without approval from its founding members.

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Aniebonam concluded by saying, "We warned that such tendencies could persist in any party he joins, and he should move on and stop making insinuations against perceived enemies."