Why did former party chair, others defect to join APC? — NNP

The former national chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Prof. Rufa’i Alkali, and other party members’ rationale for defecting to the All Progressives Congress has been disclosed by the party.

“Due to high-handedness and insatiable desire to take over a platform benevolently donated by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam and its mother organization – NAGAFF for use in the 2023 general election,” Alkali, Prof. Bem Angwe, Senator Othman Hunkuyi, and several others left the party, according to a statement released by the party on Wednesday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq.

APC national chairman Abdullahi Ganduje welcomed 26 NNPP chieftains into the party on Wednesday in Abuja, according to a previous tweet made on the party’s official X handle.

In a post, the ruling All Progressives Party stated, “Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman, received 26 leaders of the New Nigeria People’s Party into the APC, including Prof. Rufa’i Alkali, the party’s immediate past National Chairman, and three candidates for governorships.”

“Recall that the role of Prof Bem Angwe and Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi as signatories to the MOU between Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and NNPP leading to the fusion of the Kwankwassiyya and TNM groups has been repeatedly revealed to the press,” stated Abdulrasaq, the NNPP, in the statement.

A kind old man gave Alkali a platform to pursue his dream of running for president of Nigeria, and on March 30, 2022, he emerged as national chairman at the convention that formally established the union. However, on March 30, 2023, Alkali resigned from both the party and his position due to allegations of being overbearing and having irreconcilable differences with Kwankwaso regarding issues of undemocratic tendencies and, more recently, his desire to seize power through fraud.

According to Abdulrasaq, there were attempts to sell Angwe’s governorship ticket in Benue state (which he had fought so hard to earn) to the highest bidder. Angwe was a signatory to the MOU, but he withdrew his signature long ago, before the pact itself expired after the 2023 election.

“After that, he became cold-hearted, even though it had an impact on his performance in the 2023 election and despite the tremendous love he receives from the good people of Benue State.”

The document further revealed that even as the National Organising Secretary of the party, Senator Hunkuyi—a signatory to the MOU who withdrew long ago—had a hostile relationship with Kwankwaso.

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“He made multiple complaints while working for the party, including being haughty, forcing his will, and not listening to others. Even after NNPP emerged as the party’s nominee for governor of Kaduna state, the irreconcilable conflicts persisted.

“Due to the evident rift, there was no discernible communication or collaboration with the gubernatorial candidate during the campaign,” the statement said in part.

Furthermore, it stated that Hunkuyi had informed Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the party’s founder, of his decision to resign, and he had also expressed regret to him for whatever embarrassment he had caused, despite his kindness when they first joined the organization.

The 26 chieftains’ defection, according to Abdulrasaq, struck the party like a thunderstorm at a time when Dr. Agbo Majo’s new leadership had formed a Special Committee to deal with them.

Our current task is to wish them well during their stay at the new party. We hope they will experience the real meaning of transparency and internal democracy, which is the main reason they left the NNPP for their new party.

“Under the new leadership of Dr. Agbo Major, who is currently working extremely hard to restore internal democracy and constitutionality in the party’s leadership, it was truly our goal to have maintained them.

The party’s doors are still firmly open, he pointed out, to accept the 26 defectors back as co-fathers of the new NNPP it is currently creating.

“We wish them well in their endeavor to reinvent our beloved Nigeria through their new political party in the interim,” he said.