The internal crisis rocking the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has further intensified as a faction of the party’s national secretariat loyal to its leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has rejected an ex parte order reportedly issued by a Kano State High Court reversing the dissolution of the party’s executive committees in the state.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, described the alleged court order as “a farce” and an abuse of judicial process. He said the NNPP National Working Committee (NWC) was never served with any court papers, insisting that the reported ruling amounted to nothing more than “an ordinary street rumour.”
The dispute stems from the deepening rift within the party following the defection of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In the aftermath, the former Kano State Chairman of the NNPP, Hashimu Dungurawa, a known Kwankwaso loyalist, was removed at the governor’s prompting and replaced with Abdullahi Zubairu Abiya — a move reportedly affirmed by a court.
However, the NNPP’s National Working Committee declared Dungurawa’s removal a nullity and proceeded to dissolve the entire party executive structure in Kano State at the ward, local government and state levels indefinitely, citing provisions of the party’s constitution.
Unwilling to back down, the pro-Yusuf faction approached the Kano High Court, where Justice Nasiru Saminu reportedly granted an interim order restoring the dissolved executives across the state.
Rejecting the development, the NNPP’s national leadership insisted that even if such an order exists, it is legally defective. Ladipo Johnson argued that it was improper for a court to issue an injunction against a decision already concluded by a political party’s national leadership.
“The court lacks jurisdiction to reverse an internal decision of the party,” Johnson said, stressing that the Supreme Court has consistently held that the internal affairs of political parties are non-justiciable.
He further warned that the party would explore all legal remedies and petition the National Judicial Council (NJC) if it is confirmed that any judicial officer issued orders in breach of due process.
“The dissolution of the Kano State executives at all levels therefore stands,” Johnson declared, as the power struggle within the NNPP shows no sign of abating.
