A faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) loyal to the party’s founder and Board of Trustees chairman, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, has attributed the leadership crisis currently affecting the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the actions of its former presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The party made the claim in a statement issued yesterday in Lagos by its National Secretary, Mr. Ogini Olaposi, following recent developments surrounding the recognition of the opposition party’s leadership by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“We are not surprised to note that the leadership of ADC did not know that God is angry with Kwankwaso and Buba Galadima over their attempt to hijack NNPP from the backdoor,” NNPP said.
The electoral commission had on Wednesday announced its de-recognition of former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as chairman and secretary respectively, citing a Court of Appeal order directing that the status quo within the party be maintained.
Reacting to the development, the NNPP said the situation within the ADC was not unexpected, alleging that the crisis stemmed from internal political decisions linked to Kwankwaso and some of his associates.
The party accused Kwankwaso and a former NNPP chieftain, Buba Galadima, of attempting to take control of the NNPP’s structure prior to the 2023 general elections, describing their actions as responsible for lingering political disputes.
According to the statement, the NNPP maintained that its logo and party identity were altered without the consent of its leadership after members of the Kwankwasiyya movement joined the party ahead of the 2023 elections.
The party noted that while Kwankwaso contested the presidential election on its platform, some of his political allies secured elective positions, including the governorship of Kano State and seats in the National and State Assemblies.
It further argued that the challenges currently confronting the ADC followed its decision to admit Kwankwaso and his supporters without resolving prior disagreements with the NNPP leadership.
The NNPP also dismissed suggestions that either the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or INEC was responsible for the ADC’s internal difficulties, insisting that the issues were self-inflicted.
The party urged the ADC leadership to encourage reconciliation efforts, calling on Kwankwaso and Galadima to seek forgiveness from NNPP members and leadership in order to restore political harmony.
