The Rabiu Kwankwaso faction of the New Nigeria People’s Party has rejected the convention that led to Agbo Major’s election as the party’s new National Chairman.
Led by Kwankwaso, The faction, insisted that the convention was illegitimate and that Ajuji Ahmed remains the only recognised National Chairman of the party.
During the convention, Major’s faction also saw the emergence of other key officials, including Oginni Olaposi as National Secretary, Felix Chukwurah as Deputy National Chairman (South), Adetoyese Omokanye as National Treasurer, Alhaji Muhammed as Deputy National Chairman (North), and Abdulrasaq Abdulsallam as National Publicity Secretary.
The new executives were urged to lead with integrity and dedication, with the party’s Board of Trustees Secretary, Mohammed Babayo, stressing the importance of unity and hard work in strengthening the NNPP.
However, the Kwankwaso faction, represented by NNPP Publicity Secretary Ladipo Johnson, dismissed Major’s faction as a renegade group, emphasising that Ajuji Ahmed is the only National Chairman recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies, arguing that Major’s faction was attempting to mislead the public.
“They are no longer members of the party. They were expelled, and their faction has been continuing contrary to court rulings. There is a subsisting injunction from the High Court of Abuja, which has removed their powers. They are now tools in the hands of opposition parties, particularly the APC,” Johnson stated.
He added that Major’s faction had undermined the position of the NNPP by supporting the APC in various matters, including local government elections and the Supreme Court ruling on the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, the only governor from the party.
Johnson also criticised the legitimacy of Major’s election, pointing out that both Kwankwaso and other key party figures were absent from the convention.
He further emphasised that the NNPP’s true logo includes an education book and cap, with red, white, and red colors, a symbol that Major’s faction was reportedly misrepresenting.
The dispute stems from an Abia High Court ruling on November 1, 2024, which ordered the reconstitution of the party’s organs, from the ward congress to the national convention, and mandated INEC to recognise the new board.
