The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has asked the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to stop an alleged illegal national convention planned by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s faction of the party.
In a suit; FHC/ABJ/CS /327/2024 and obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, the party accused the Kwankwaso’s faction led by Abba Kawu and Dipo Olayoku of attempting to sabotage its activities and hijack the NNPP leadership.
The party also petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Department of State Security and Nigerian Police Force to intervene by preventing “any breach of peace that the illegal congresses and convention by Kwankwaso’s group may eventually lead to.”
In the suit filed by the Board of Trustee led by Temitope Aluko, the party insisted that Kawu and Olayoku remain expelled and their National Working Committee dissolved according to the constitution of NNPP.
The NNPP BOT in the suit maintained that Kawu and Olayoku are no longer qualified to exercise the power of National Chairman and National Secretary due to their expulsion and dissolution of the NWC they superintended
“According to the information on the table of New Nigeria Peoples Party, it’s only Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso that is in Court battling to upturn his expulsion. NNPP’s record clearly showed that Kawu and Olayoku of Kwankwaso’s led faction remained expelled and the NWC they led dissolved.
“Therefore any action taken by these two expelled officers are “ultra vires,” the suit reads partly.
Meanwhile, the NNPP Lawyer, Monday Mawah in a petition to INEC National Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu asked him to disregard the “notice of Congress/Convention hurriedly rescheduled for March 23rd to March 26 by the illegal NWC led by Kawu/ Olayoku.”
Mawah in the petition urged the electoral body as an independent umpire to stay clear of the planned illegal convention pending the determination of the matter in court.
The petition further stated, “We are Counsel to the Plaintiffs in the above mentioned suit between the above parties
“Please be informed that the above suit is instituted on behalf of the Plaintiffs over the proposed purported congresses and convention.
“The Plaintiffs have engaged our service to challenge the said purported notice and we have accordingly filed originating summons, Motion on Notice for interlocutory Injunction, interim Injunction before the Federal High Court.
“We are by this notice notifying the commission not to get involved in the illegal congresses and convention proposed to hold from 23rd to the 26th of March 2024.
“The commission as a law abiding agent of the Federal Government is advised not to get involved in the proposed congresses in view of the pending suit.”
The NNPP lawyer also asked the DSS and police to investigate the allegations of illegal activities by the Kwankwaso faction.
While urging the security agencies to prevent the illegal convention from taking place, the National Secretary of NNPP, Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday also stated that there is a need for the highest security agencies to prevent any breach of Peace that may result from the illegal activities of the Kwankwaso’s group.
Recognizing the Security Challenges Our Country is facing today, Comrade Oginni emphasized that the protection of rights and safety of NNPP members are sacrosanct and far above any individual interest or ambition. Therefore, the Department of State Security Services and Nigeria Police should nip any attempt to breach the National Peace in the bud.
