Retract your statement, FG not responsible for our crisis, NNPP faction tells el-Rufai

The national leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has faulted Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, for attributing the party’s crisis to the federal government.

In a statement on Wednesday, Oginni Olaposi, the NNPP factional national secretary, said el-Rufai does not understand the root causes of the NNPP crisis.

In a recent video circulating on social media, el-Rufai, while addressing some leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled federal government is responsible for the crisis in the opposition parties.

El-Rufai mentioned that the expulsion of Rabiu Kwankwaso, NNPP presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, by a faction was “contrived” to plunge the party into a crisis.

On Monday, the former Kaduna governor resigned from the APC and joined the SDP.

‘RETRACT YOUR COMMENT’

Reacting to el-Rufai’s comment, Olaposi said allegations that the federal government sponsored the expulsion of Kwankwaso were “unfounded”.

He asked the former minister of the federal capital territory (FCT) to tender an “unreserved apology” to the national leadership of the party over the sponsorship allegations.

“To make the record straight and to educate Mallam Nasir El Rufai on the genesis and revelations of the crisis that led to the expulsion of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the subsequent suspension of Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano state,” the statement reads.

“We shall ask Mallam Nasir El Rufai to ask his friend (Kwankwaso) to answer the following questions before the allegations of interference or sponsorship by the federal government can be substantiated.

“Was it the federal government that asked Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to go to Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam in February 2022 to prostrate and beg for NNPP’s platform in the company of Buba Galadima, Senator Hunkuyi, and others?

“Was it the federal government that asked Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to insult the founder of NNPP, Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam?

“Was it the federal government that asked Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to institute a case against the leadership and founder of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) at the Kano State High Court to challenge his expulsion?

“Was it the federal government that stopped Kwankwaso and Governor Abba Yusuf from appearing before the disciplinary committee set up by the party for internal resolution of crisis within NNPP?

“We hereby challenge Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to please call his friend and co-traveler on horse riding to answer the aforementioned questions.

“Consequently, we are calling on Mallam El-Rufai to publicly tender an unreserved apology to the founder of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam, and the party leadership on the unfortunate allegation of sponsorship by the federal government.

“We are giving Mallam Nasir El Rufai the next 48 hours to tender his apology for his reckless statement or face prosecution for a defamatory statement against the innocent leaders of the New Nigeria Peoples Party.”

NNPP CRISIS 

After the 2023 elections, internal wranglings in NNPP divided the party into two factions.

In September 2023, an NNPP faction led by Agbo Major suspended and later expelled Kwankwaso over allegations of anti-party activities and mismanagement of party funds.

The decision to suspend the former presidential candidate was reversed by another faction of the party comprising loyalists.