NNPP crisis deepens as Kwankwasiyya movement faults Abuja court ruling

…Aniebonam insists on party ownership

Fresh controversy has trailed a ruling by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), with the Kwankwasiyya Movement criticising the judgment while the party’s founder, Boniface Aniebonam, insists it reaffirms his control of the party.

In a statement issued Thursday, spokesperson of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Habibu Sale Mohammed, expressed concern over the decision delivered by Justice Bello Kawu, warning that a pattern of judicial interventions in political party affairs could undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.
The movement argued that recent court pronouncements in internal disputes involving political parties have generated confusion and deepened factional crises across the country.

According to the group, similar judicial interventions have been recorded in disputes involving the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC).
It also raised concerns about what it described as the increasing issuance of conflicting rulings by courts of coordinate jurisdiction, including cases already under appellate consideration.

The movement warned that such developments could undermine established legal doctrines such as Stare Decisis and weaken public confidence in the judiciary.

“The consistent emergence of controversial judgments that appear to interfere with internal party mechanisms is creating serious concerns about the neutrality of the judicial process,” the statement said.

The group called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to review what it described as conflicting court decisions and urged judicial officers to uphold fairness, due process and constitutional order.

However, reacting to the controversy, NNPP founder Boniface Aniebonam maintained that the court ruling confirmed the legitimacy of his leadership of the party.

Aniebonam said he registered the NNPP in 2001, adding that Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Buba Galadima and the Kwankwasiyya Movement only joined the party in 2022 under a Memorandum of Understanding.

According to him, the agreement had since expired and the group was subsequently expelled from the party.

“Kwankwaso and Galadima are fighting hard to hijack NNPP even after the memorandum ended and they were expelled from the party,” he said.

Aniebonam added that the outcome of the judicial review clarifies the political developments in Kano State, including the reported defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to the All Progressives Congress (APC), which he said was linked to the growing legal disputes surrounding the party.

The dispute reflects the deepening leadership crisis within the NNPP, with rival factions laying claim to the party’s structure and legitimacy ahead of future political contests.