The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has dismissed the reported suspension of Senator Kawu Sumaila and three other federal lawmakers as null and void.
The Kano State chapter of the NNPP had announced on Monday that Sumaila, who represents Kano South in the Senate, along with three members of the House of Representatives—Ali Gini, Sani Rogo, and Kabiru Rurum—had been suspended. The party’s state chairman, Alhaji Hashimu Dungurawa, made the announcement during a press conference, stating that the lawmakers were suspended for alleged anti-party activities.
However, the NNPP’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Oginni Olaposi, responded on Tuesday, rejecting the suspension and stating that it was an attempt to discredit the party. He noted that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party was not informed of any such anti-party activities involving the lawmakers.
Olaposi also claimed that those responsible for the suspension were affiliated with the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group led by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. He explained that the movement’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the NNPP, which was established ahead of the 2023 presidential election, had already ended.
“We do not want Nigerians to be misled by a group that does not believe in the rule of law and public order,” Olaposi said.
He further stated that the Kwankwasiyya Movement no longer had the authority to act or speak on behalf of the NNPP. According to him, the MoU between the two groups was signed in 2022 by Kwankwaso and Elder Buba Galadima as representatives of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and The National Movement (TNM), respectively. However, the agreement was terminated following the 2023 general elections.
“It is on record that the MoU between NNPP and Kwankwasiya movement was only with the assents of Kwankwaso and Elder Buba Galadima as representatives of their groups, the Kwankwasiya movement and The National Movement (TNM).
“Kwankwaso, who became the presidential candidate of the party in 2023 and Galadima represented the groups respectively, hence their signatures on the MoU of 2022 with the NNPP.
“It is also a fact that the Abia State High Court on Nov. 1, 2024, terminated the MoU and directed INEC to handover the administration and leadership of NNPP to Dr Boniface Aniebonam, the party’s Board of Trustees Chairman and Founder.
“The NNPP, therefore, appeals to the general public, most especially members and people of Kano State to disregard whatever the groups, masquerading as NNPP members are saying.
“Their pronouncement is false and misleading. We, hereby dissociate the NNPP from reckless and unguided statements capable of causing public unrest in Kano state.”
