A faction of the national secretariat of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) loyal to Rabiu Kwankwaso has rejected an ex parte order granted by a Kano State High Court reversing the dissolution of its executive committees in the state.

A statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, in Abuja, described the purported order as “a farce” and an abuse of court process.

He said the NNPP National Working Committee (NWC) has not been served with any court process and therefore considers the reported ruling as “an ordinary street rumour.”

As a consequence of the deepening crisis over Governor Yusuf’s defection to APC, the former NNPP Chairman Hashimu Dungurawa – a pro-Kwankwaso was sacked at the prompting of the Governor, who swiftly appointed Abdullahi Zubairu Abiya as replacement.

Abiya’s appointment was even backed by the court which affirmed the dismissal of the former chairman.

However, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party described Dungurawa’s removal as a nullity.

It went on to dissolve the entire Kano party executives at the ward, local government and state levels indefinitely, saying the action was in line with the NNPP constitution.

Not relenting, the pro-Yusuf camp approached the Kano High Court where Justice Nasiru Saminu, granted an order restoring the party’s executives at the state, local government and ward levels, which were earlier dissolved by the party’s NWC.

But the party’s NWC is insisting that even if such an order exists, it would be legally defective.

party’s National Publicity Secretary Ladipo Johnson said it was improper for a court to issue an interim injunction against a decision that had already been completed by a political party’s national leadership.

“The court lacks jurisdiction to reverse an internal decision of the party,” he said, arguing that the Supreme Court has consistently held that the internal affairs of political parties are non-justiciable,” he said.

The party also warned that if the reported injunction was confirmed, it would pursue legal remedies and petition the National Judicial Council (NJC) against any judicial officer found to have issued overreaching orders in breach of due process.

Ladipo said: “The dissolution of Kano State executives at all levels therefore stands.” (The Nation)