By Okechukwu Onuegbu
The executives of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Southeast, Sunday, reaffirmed position of the national working committee of the party led by Major Agbo, which kicked out the 2023 Presidential candidate of NNPP, Alh. Rabiu Kwankwaso and Kawu Ali led National Working Committee (NWC- NNPP).
The NNPP chairmen and secretaries from the five Southeast states, equally endorsed Major Agbo as their authentic Acting National Chairman, and Dr Boniface Aniebonam as their founder/Board of Trustees Chairman, vowing that no one was capable of dethroning them through back door.
The party stakeholders at end of conference held at Awka, the Anambra State capital, took the decision following a vote of confidence on the founder (Aniebonam) moved by Prince Kelech Apugo, the Abịa State Acting chairman of NNPP and supported by his counterpart from Enugu State, Chief Chuba Nwadiogbu, and a reaffirmation vote of expulsion on Kwankwaso/Kawu led faction which was moved by Ebonyi State Acting NNPP Chairman, Hon. Ozeogu Stephen and supported by the Secretary of the party in Imo State, Hon. Nnani Nnaemeka Emmanuel.
According to them, the MoU signed with Kwankwaso/Kawu led group which admitted them to the party without paying a dime, has expired since end of 2023 general elections and the affected personalities rather than seek ways of renewing them, resort to hijack the party organs but failed woefully.
The Deputy National Chairman of NNPP, Chief Felix Chukwurah, who presided over the meeting, said the conference was convoked among other things, to restate their stands that the old NNPP structure is intact, "as the strange entrants who joined us with one evil intention of wrestling the party out our hands have failed."
"We announce the expiration of the MoU that brought NNPP /NAGAF and Kwankwaso/kwankwasia in union to contest for elective positions in the past elections. Yes, the constitution of our party reiterates that the BOT chairman has the power to call to order erring members and much more.
"Hence the reconstitution of the NWCS and BOTs, to weed out the inconsistent members to enable the true party loyalists to manage the party effectively. In the coming weeks, many of our court cases would have yielded expected result of sending all the miscreants and hijackers out of our party with restorations of the party glory like never before," he added.
"Aniebonam did not collect a dime from Kwankwaso but gave him rather. He gave out all he had to save Nigeria. He founded and led NNPP for over 22 years from his personal pocket. A true philanthropist of International repute. Unfortunately, he did not know that those who came to seek for help from him were actually after him and his party. We are here to say no to every attempt to hijack our party. Our message is a solidarity with Agbo Major led Executive, and Aniebonam. There is no war with our party structure from the local to national level," he further maintained.
Other stakeholders who spoke at the event vowed to mobilise for more members and resources to support Aniebonam and Major in taking the party to a greater height.
"I will also immediately mention the name of our national chairman, his excellency, Dr Agbo Major, the rugged and unwavering political intellectual, who in his loyalty to the founder and party philosophy with hardwork has kept hopes of grassroot to the national executives afloat by shuttling all over the country to cultivate sustainable success in our party.
"Further, I will stop at nothing to recognise our zonal officers, stakeholders, and state executives from Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Anambra State gathered here today to grace this southeast executive conference. NWC was swallowed and manipulated by few new entrants (Kwankwaso and co). they marshal the NWC members to meetings in their private houses for easy access and control of selfish and unpopular decisions.
"They frame anybody they set their eye on especially some state chairmen who are not likely to support their hijack agenda and suspend or expel them all together. They conspired and replaced their imaginary enemies in many states with some Kwankwasia members as the caretaker chairmen," he concluded.