Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso has been expelled from the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, for allegedly refusing to appear before the party’s Disciplinary Committee.
Recall that the NNPP leadership had already suspended Kwankwaso, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, at the National Convention on August 29 in Lagos.
Also keep in mind that the Disciplinary Committee was established by the National Executive Council, NEC of the NNPP, and that it was given five days to invite Kwankwaso to respond to claims of egregious anti-party conduct and improper handling of party and campaign funds.
The NEC had issued a warning that Kwankwaso would be removed from the party in accordance with the terms of the party’s constitution as revised in 2022 if he failed to appear before the Disciplinary Committee.
Consequently, the NEC expelled Kwankwaso with immediate effect as a result of his reluctance to accept the committee’s invites, according to a statement released on Tuesday in Lagos by Mr. Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, the acting national publicity secretary of the NNPP.
Abdulrasaq said:
“The NEC met in an emergency session on Friday, Sept 1. and resolved as follows:
“Following the refusal of Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to appear before the disciplinary committee which sat on Thursday, Aug. 31 after being duly invited in writing, he is hereby expelled from NNPP with immediate effect.
“That the erstwhile presidential candidate, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso will be reported to appropriate quarters to answer questions on financial impropriety relating to mismanagement of public funds.”
The NNPP crisis began on August 24th, when the National Working Committee of the Kwankwaso-aligned party announced the suspension of the NNPP founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, and the National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Agbo Major.