Gov Yusuf Quit Kwankwasiya Movement, Not Party — NNPP Founder
Founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr Boniface Aniebonam, has said that Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, did not resign from the party but from the Kwankwasiya Movement led by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Aniebonam made the statement on Saturday in response to reports of Yusuf’s resignation from the NNPP, arguing that the governor’s resignation letter was not addressed to the party’s authentic National Working Committee (NWC), led by Dr Major Agbo, nor to the state chairman or ward secretary, but to a member of the Kwankwasiya Movement in Diso-Chiranchi Ward, Gwale Local Government Area.
“The NNPP NWC do not recognise the Kwankwasiya Movement ward chairman as chairman of the party,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Yusuf was reported to have resigned alongside 21 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives, and 44 local government chairmen.
The resignation was announced on Friday by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Tofa.
In the letter addressed to the Diso-Chiranchi Ward chairman, Yusuf stated, “I write with a deep sense of gratitude to formally notify the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party of my decision to resign my membership of the party, with effect from Friday, 23rd January 2026.”
Aniebonam, however, emphasised that the resignations are not recognised by him as NNPP leader, founder, and Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees.
He added that the NNPP had lifted Yusuf’s suspension and directed him to take responsibility for party leadership as the highest elected officer in the state.
He noted that both the Abia State High Court and the Federal Capital Territory High Court had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Aniebonam-led NNPP administration.
The courts also restrained INEC from engaging with the Kwankwasiya Movement.
Aniebonam stressed that the NNPP is a registered political party, while the Kwankwasiya Movement was merely a pressure group whose memorandum of association was terminated, and its former NWC expelled for anti-party activities after the 2023 presidential elections.
He added that Yusuf and other Kano legislators were elected under the NNPP platform with the party’s “basket of fruits” logo, not the Kwankwasiya insignia.
He described INEC’s delay in updating party records as an administrative lapse unrelated to the court judgments.
“The ongoing judicial review at the FCT High Court seeks to compel INEC to update its records,” he said.
Aniebonam urged members in Kano and across the country to remain calm and committed, noting that the NNPP looks forward to more victories in the 2027 elections.
He blamed the current resignations on the high-handedness of Kwankwaso, which he described as “highly regretted.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
