NNPP crisis: Peace committee recommends apology to party’s founder

To reverse its expulsion judgement against the party’s founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the National Peace Committee of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has petitioned the National Working Committee (NWC).

For the clear act of indiscretion implicit in the expulsion decision, the committee further suggested that the NWC issue a letter of apology to Aniebonam.

Aniebonam, the party’s founder and head of its Board of Trustees (BoT), was ousted from the party in August along with other members by the faction led by Rabiu Kwankwaso.

BoT chairman Agbo Major, national publicity secretary, and others were expelled for alleged anti-party conduct.

Azubike Anazor, chairman of the party’s National Peace Committee, said on Sunday in Lagos that Aniebonam, as the party’s founder, deserved eternal respect.

He added that Alhaji Abba Ali, the NNPP’s interim national chairman, should mediate an immediate meeting between Aniebonam and Kwankwaso.

He further said that any subsequent encounters between the two should be place with no outsiders present.

This, he claims, will restore constitutionality, order, and democratic control within the party, inspiring trust among its members.

As part of his statement, Anazor also called for a halt to any efforts by the NWC or the National Executive Committee to change or recommend amendments to any parts of the party’s constitution.

As the party’s founders have stated, “Amendments intended to detract from or whittle down the powers of any organ of the party as presently constituted can only engender bad blood.”

This form of progress won’t bring the party’s many fans the harmony, solidarity, and oneness they crave.

Immediately cease any further attempts to aggravate the situation through hostile press conferences, press releases, or television interviews.

The NNPP’s stated goal is to “immediately position itself for massive victories at all levels in the 2027 general elections” and “provide Nigerians with credible opposition at the present time.”

“It can only attain these goals if it remains united and enlarges its membership, not by suspensions, expulsions, and exclusionary policies and actions,” he argued.

It was unfortunate that the underlying reasons of contention between the warring groups had been allowed to fester, he said, because the National Peace Committee could have resolved them and prevented the party from collapsing.

The presidential candidate and national leader, Kwankwaso, was accused of attempting to seize power, undermine the party’s founding fathers, and install his own “Kwankwasiyya” faction in their stead.

It was claimed, he said, that the BOT chairman and party founder were behind the proposed constitutional revision to limit their authority.

He went on to say that the opposition political party in Kano State had extensively compromised certain leaders of the former and defunct NNPP in order to defame Kwankwaso and lessen his power in the NNPP.

Anazor added that the expelled state party executives had complained about not being given a fair hearing prior to their removal.

It was established by the committee, he said, that Aniebonam’s followers viewed the recent supposed expulsion from the party as an assault of uneven proportions.

He went on to say that the expulsion of Aniebonam was a brazen violation of the NNPP Constitution, which grants him “life membership” in the BoT of the party.