NNPP faction investigates Sen. Kwankwaso, associates over N1 billion fund controversy

NNPP faction investigates Sen. Kwankwaso, associates over N1 billion fund controversy

One of the factions of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), led by Major Agbo, has announced its intention to investigate Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the party, and some of his loyalists over allegations of misappropriating over N1 billion generated from the sale of nomination forms.

This announcement comes as the faction also accuses Buba Galadima, a chieftain of NNPP, of favouring and imposing certain party candidates over other aspirants.

The allegations were outlined in a statement released on Sunday by the NNPP faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, following a meeting at the Abuja National Secretariat.

Abdulrasaq stated, “NNPP will conduct a thorough probe into the mismanagement of well over one billion naira raised from the sale of forms to aspirants from March 2022 to date. The meeting resolved to invite relevant security agencies to properly examine the accounts of the party with a view to demanding explanations from the party’s presidential candidate, the party’s chairman who left in March 2023, the sacked acting chairman, and the National Secretary.

“This is to restore the confidence of party members and candidates who came forward with their hard-earned money to purchase forms. The party also queried the rationale for the location of the Situation Room in the presidential candidate’s personal residence.

READ ALSO: NNPP suspends Kwankwaso over alleged anti-party activities

“It noted that the illegal location created room for massive corruption and manipulation leading to the imposition of candidates by Buba Galadima and his co-travellers and resolved to set up a committee to launch a probe into it. It therefore called for written complaints from aggrieved candidates who were shortchanged after making payments for forms into the party’s account.”

Abdulrasaq further confirmed that the faction has withdrawn from the Memorandum of Understanding previously signed with the Kwankwasiya Movement and The National Movement.

This decision was made on the grounds that the principles of these two groups are perceived as serving the interests of their sole owner and not aligned with the party’s policy of inclusivity.

The faction also promises to investigate why the party seemingly favoured Kwankwaso over other aspirants vying for the same ticket.

“The party also resolved to query the rationale behind the denial of other presidential aspirants the right to purchase form and participate in the primary election that illegally produced Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso insisting that it was against the spirit of fairness and equity which our great party preaches.

“The party called on its numerous members and supporters to remain calm in the face of this brazen assault of the Kwankwasiya movement whose members were erroneously made to believe the party is sold to them and called on all aggrieved and displaced members who left for whatever reason to return home. The party resolved to overhaul its structures across all levels nationwide in the coming days and weeks,” he said.

In response, the National Auditor of NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, absolves Kwankwaso of any wrongdoing and dismisses the allegations against him as frivolous.

He questions the timing of these allegations, noting that they only surfaced after the factional leaders were expelled from the party.

“Does Kwankwaso sell forms? He is neither an official of the party nor an accounting officer. Why are you taking them seriously? It should be obvious to the whole world what these people are trying to do. They have been expelled.

“These are ex-members and renegades who are no longer in the party. I think the sooner Nigerians move to more serious issues relating to the economy and to the Niger crisis, the best for us. Since people like Agbo have formed their own NWC, they should sell nomination forms and teach the world how to manage N1b. I wonder how many candidates NNPP has that we sold N1b worth of forms.

“Why have they not raised this allegation before, during, and immediately after the election? Why are they just saying these things after their expulsion from the party?” he queried.