Cynthia Ezegwu
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Monday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Nigerians to disregard the purported congresses announced by the Kwankwasiya Movement, led by former presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, describing the move as unconstitutional.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Secretary, Ogini Olaposi, the NNPP insisted that all court-ordered congresses had already been conducted and concluded in line with legal directives.
This followed a letter reportedly sent by the Kwankwaso-led faction to INEC, notifying the commission of plans to hold fresh congresses and a national convention between November 25 and January 2026.
The NNPP maintained that the group lacked the authority to organise congresses on behalf of the party, noting that the Memorandum of Association signed with the Kwankwasiya Movement prior to the 2023 presidential election had since expired. It added that Kwankwaso and some of his loyalists remained expelled from the party for alleged anti-party activities.
“We are still amazed that a man of Kwankwaso’s standing will insist on hijacking a party that gave him a soft landing to contest the 2023 presidential election for free,” the statement read.
The party further said two courts—the Abia State High Court and the Federal Capital Territory High Court—had affirmed the expulsion of Kwankwaso and his group from NNPP’s internal structures and disciplinary processes.
“It is most unfortunate that Kwankwaso can be found conducting himself most disrespectfully to disobey and abuse court judgments,” the party stated.
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The NNPP also criticised INEC for what it described as the commission’s silence on repeated letters demanding recognition of the court-affirmed leadership. It urged the electoral body to uphold the rule of law and refrain from granting legitimacy to groups allegedly seeking to destabilise the party.
“As an umpire, INEC cannot afford to continue to sit on the fence on matters of urgent importance and peace of the society,” the NNPP said.
The party assured its members that it would continue to maintain peace and adhere to lawful directives, directing them to disregard what it described as “fake congresses and conventions.”
It also appealed to INEC to support democratic principles, asserting that the success of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda depended on adherence to the rule of law.