NNPP faction to investigate Kwankwaso, others over alleged misappropriation of N1b nomination fee

One of the factions of the New Nigeria Peoples Party under the leadership of Major Agbo has announced that it will investigate the presidential candidate of the party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, and some of his loyalists over an alleged misappropriation of over N1 billion generated from the sale of nomination forms.

This came as the group accused a NNPP chieftain, Buba Galadima, of favouring and imposing certain party candidates over others.

The claims were made in a statement issued on Sunday by Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, the NNPP factional National Publicity Secretary, following a meeting at the Abuja National Secretariat.

He said, “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.

“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.”

Continuing, Abdulrasaq confirmed that the faction has withdrawn from the earlier Memorandum of Understanding it signed with the Kwankwasiya Movement and The National Movement, insisting that the principles of the two groups are targeted at massaging the ego of its sole owner and not in line with the party’s policies of inclusivity.

He also promised to probe why the party favoured Kwankwaso and allegedly denied other aspirants running 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.

Reacting, National Auditor of NNPP, Ladipo Johnson absolves Kwankwaso of any wrongdoing, saying all the allegations leveled against him were frivolous.

Johnson also wondered why the allegations were not raised until 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.