Court sets aside Kwankwaso’s suspension from NNPP, restrains factional officers

A high court in Kano state has set aside the suspension of  Rabiu Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

Ruling on an ex parte motion in a suit marked K/M1157/2023 on Tuesday, Usman Na‘abba, the presiding judge, also restrained members of the faction that suspended Kwankwaso from acting as national officers of the party.

Last Tuesday, the NNPP’s board of trustees (BoT), led by Boniface Aniebonam, founder of the party, suspended Kwankwaso over allegations of anti-party activities.

However, a faction of the party loyal to the former governor of Kano reversed the suspension.

The party’s national executive council (NEC) had also set up a disciplinary committee to probe allegations of anti-party activities and mismanagement of party funds levelled against Kwankwaso.

The former Kano governor was directed to appear before the committee within five days of getting the invitation.

The NEC had warned that Kwankwaso would be expelled in line with the provisions of the NNPP’s constitution if he failed to appear before the disciplinary committee.

In a statement on Tuesday, Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, NNPP’s acting national publicity secretary, said NEC resolved to expel him because of his refusal to honour the committee’s invitation.

But in the recent ruling, the court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise the purported suspension pending the determination of the suit.

“An order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the respondents by themselves, their agents, cronies and whosoever acting or act through them from parading themselves, issuing press releases or granting Interviews as national officers, leaders or members of the applicant pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice,” the judge ruled.

“An order of interim injunction is hereby granted setting aside the purported suspension of Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as a member of the applicant and restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the purported suspension pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

The respondents in the suit are Boniface Aniebonam, Gilbert Agbo Major, Tony Christopher Obioha, Oginni Olaposi, Rekia Zanlaga, Mark Usman, Umar Jubril, Adebanju Wasiu, Tajudeen Adebayo, Mamoh Garuba and Abdurasaq Abdulsalam.

Others are Abiola Henry Olarotimi, Babayo Abdullahi Mohammed, Ibrahim Yahaya, Chinonso Adiofu, Sunday Chukwuemeka, Jonathan Chineme Ibeogu and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The judge adjourned the suit to October 5.