The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the New Nigeria Peoples Party has expelled the NNPP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Rabiu Kwankwaso, over his alleged refusal to appear before the party’s disciplinary committee.

The NNPP had, on August 29, 2023, suspended Kwankwaso at the party’s National Convention in Lagos.

The party’s NEC later set up a disciplinary committee and directed it to invite Kwankwaso to defend allegations of anti-party activities and mismanagement of party/campaign funds within five days.

The NEC had warned that, failure to appear before the committee, Kwankwaso would be expelled from the party in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution 2022 (as amended).

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However, the acting National Publicity Secretary of NNPP, Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, in a statement issued on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, noted that the NEC has expelled Kwankwaso with immediate effect over his refusal to honour the committee’s invitations.

Abdulrasaq stated: “The NEC met in an emergency session on Friday, September 1, and resolved as follows:

“Following the refusal of Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to appear before the disciplinary committee which sat on Thursday, August 31 after being duly invited in writing,  he is hereby expelled from NNPP with immediate effect.

“That the erstwhile presidential candidate, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso will be reported to appropriate quarters to answer questions on financial impropriety relating to mismanagement of public funds.”

The crisis rocking the NNPP started when the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party loyal to Kwankwaso announced the suspension of the party’s founder, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, and the National Publicity Secretary, Dr Agbo Major, on August 24.

The Star