By RAJI RASAK

The National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Dr Agbo Major, says Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate do not have a say in its alliances ahead of 2027.

Major was reacting to Kwankwaso’s speech at a meeting of his kwankwasiyia group on Thursday in Abuja, where he announced that the NNPP is open to alliances in 2027.

Recall that the controversy and tussle over the NNPP leadership has continued to linger, with the party writing to INEC to be decisive on the matter of effecting changes in their old records.

While Kwankwaso and his Kwankwasiya Movement continued to claim ownership of the party, the Major led national executives of the party, insisted that the Memorandum of Understanding with the Movement ended after the 2023 general elections and that Kwankwaso and his group had been expelled for alleged anti party activities.

Major said in a statement on Friday in Lagos that the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting that the Kwankwasiya Movement held in Abuja on Thursday in the name of NNPP is null and void.

He said decisions from the meeting cannot change the decision of the party and judgments of Abia and Federal Capital Territory High Courts on leadership of the NNPP.

“Aside from the obvious betrayal of trust, we regret that Kwankwaso have continued to use the NNPP name to make negotiations and comments that may cause unrest in the country.

“The recent statement by Kwankwaso accusing the Federal Government of neglecting the North in projects is a classical example.”

The national chairman said the NNPP is still awaiting INEC’s reply to its letter, demanding that the commission should upload the new leadership of the party that emanated from a court ordered convention.

“Any Nigerian entering into any alliance with Kwankwaso and his kwankwasiya group on the basis of the NNPP will be doing so at their own risks.

“Our party is open to every Nigerian and shall provide equal opportunities for aspirants to undergo mandatory primaries.

“We shall not allow betrayals of our ticket again as we did in 2023.

“NNPP is not closed to alliance with sister political parties if there is need but it must not be for the purposes of fighting a personal vendetta.

“It is our hope that INEC as a federal institution should understand the essence of rule of law and order in a civil society and do the needful,” Major added. (NAN)