By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

The leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has clarified that the federal government knows nothing about the internal crisis rocking the party and the expulsion of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as well as the suspension of Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State.

National Secretary of the party, Oginni Sunday, who disclosed this in a statement he made available to Vanguard in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, described “the ranting of the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, on the crisis rocking the party as a cry of a drowning man”, describing the el-Rufai’s allegation as unfounded.

It would be recalled that el-Rufai, who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), said the crises in LP, PDP and NNPP were engineered by the APC-led government of the day.

Oginni said, “the ranting of the former Governor of Kaduna State Nasir el-Rufai on the expulsion of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the suspension of Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State from NNPP as a cry of a drowning man”.

He added, “it is unfortunate that el-Rufai, who has just decamped from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Social Democratic Party (SDP) was seeing making an unfounded allegations against the leadership of NNPP, alleging sponsorship of the expulsion of Kwankwaso and the suspension of Governor Yusuf by the federal government”.

Oginni, in the statement, asked El-Rufai if it was the federal government that asked Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to go to Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam in February 2022, to prostrate and beg for NNPP’s platform in company of Buba Galadima, Senator Hunkuyi and others to contest for as the presidential candidate in 2023.

He alleged that “Kwankwaso, during the buildup to the 2023 general elections, relocated the situation room of NNPP to his bedroom in Maitama, where lots of atrocities were committed while uploading candidates’ names to INEC portal for the general election”.

“Was it the federal government that asked Kwankwaso and his now expelled members of National Working Committee to embezzle all the money received from the sales of nomination forms and donations for the party for 2023 Election?”

“Was it the federal government that instituted a petition to EFCC on the allegations of fraud of over N2.5 billion against Kwankwaso and his puppet NWC?”

Oginni said that both Kwankwaso and Gov. Yusuf stopped from appearing before the disciplinary committee set up by the party for internal resolution of crisis within the party.

“Was it the federal government that asked Kwankwaso to embark on an illegal convention that culminated to the illegal change of NNPP logo to that of the private school of Kwankwaso and the color to his illegal Kwankwasia group?”

“Was it the federal government that orchestrated the sack of the Kano State SSG, CoS and Commissioner for saying “No to highjackers”.

“Was it the federal government that asked Kwankwaso and his defunct NWC to sue the founder of New Nigeria People’s Party ( NNPP), Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam, the National Chairman, Dr Agbo Gilbert Major, the National Secretary, Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday, the National Treasurer, Prince Omokanye Adetoyese and 22 other executives with INEC at the Federal Capital Territory Court on the Convention of the party?”, Oginni queried.

Oginni said the NNPP was giving El-Rufai a 48-hour ultimatum to tender a public apology for the reckless and unfounded statement or face prosecution for defamation against the leadership of the party.