The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has demanded from the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to respond to its letter to the commission on the leadership crisis in the party
The party in the letter dated April 3, 2024, had asked INEC to accept and permit the Board of Trustees (BoT) and Founder of the party, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, who is a life member of the Board, to take charge of the party’s statutory responsibilities pending the resolution of its internal crisis.
According to the letter written by Templum Solicitors, which was acknowledged by INEC, the party said that the lingering crisis would make it difficult for it to function as a registered political party in Nigeria.
The letter noted that the Kwankwasiya Movement within the party led by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is not a registered political party in Nigeria. It is, therefore, inappropriate on the part of INEC to allow itself to be used to perpetrate illegality.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos by the Founder of the party, Dr Aniebonam, the NNPP decried the inability of the electoral commission to attend to the letter and the issues raised therein.
“A big organisation like INEC who is charged with election matters in Nigeria should be able to run a simple administration of responding to correspondences and giving direction to matters of urgent importance
“The letter was sent and acknowledged by INEC on April 3, 2024 and it is getting to two months now without any reply from the commission. This is unbelievable and inappropriate
“The delay in response is affecting the party negatively especially with governorship elections coming up in Edo and Ekiti,” he stated.
The party, however, appealed to the INEC chairman to urgently ensure prompt response to the letter to enable it to attend to the needs of members and intending members of the party.
“The NNPP was established in 2002 and had been participating in all elections in Nigeria. Therefore, any action by INEC by way of continued delay may affect its participation in upcoming governorship polls ahead of 2027 general election,” it stated.