The Guardian (Nigeria)

NNPP moves to reconcile expelled members, denies suspending Kano governor

- From Ernest Nzor,

TNew Nigeria Peoples Party ( NNPP), yesterday, declared its readiness for reconcilia­tion with former members, who have expressed a desire to rejoin the party.

It also denied suspending Governor Kabir Yusuf, the only governor it ever produced since its inception.

NNPP debunked the claims by some expelled individual­s, who announced the suspension of the governor for attending its national convention.

Acting National Chairman of NNPP, Dr Ahmed Ajuji, during a briefing, in Abuja, described individual­s fighting the party as “expelled political comedians, hirelings, and clowns” who were seeking relevance. Ajuji noted Yusuf as a bona fide member of the party, who was never suspended.

He said: “We have rules and regulation­s as enshrined in the party’s constituti­on and other regulation­s. Once you flout these regulation­s, due process of the law as provided for in our constituti­on and the regulation­s, you must face the law.

“Our doors are open for any one of them who has been expelled, who wants reconcilia­tion and who has rejoined the party, and they know better than most of us the road to follow back to the party.” Mentioning that the former members filed multiple lawsuits challengin­g the party’s leadership and attempted to disrupt the National Executive Committee ( NEC) meeting and the National Convention, he said their suits were dismissed by the court. The party reaffirmed its commitment to good governance and a better Nigeria, with Governor Yusuf leading the charge from Kano.

A fraction of the party led by the former national publicity secretary, Agbo Major, had announced a six- month suspension of the Kano governor, alleging his failure to appear before a disciplina­ry committee.

Ajuji said: “For record purposes, Governor Yusuf is a worthy ambassador of NNPP, whose leadership and unpreceden­ted achievemen­ts in Kano are a thing of pride to us, and as such, we have no reason to suspend him. In essence, the NNPP did not suspend our governor.

“Nigerians were amused early this week when expelled political comedians, hirelings, and clowns craving for relevance announced the suspension of the party’s action Governor Yusuf for attending the NNPP national convention.”

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