The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) faction loyal to Rabiu Kwankwaso has rejected an ex parte order reportedly granted by a Kano State High Court, which reversed the dissolution of the party’s executive committees in the state.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, described the alleged court order as “a farce” and an abuse of court process.
Johnson said the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party had not been served with any court process and therefore regarded reports of the ruling as “nothing more than an ordinary street rumour.”
The crisis within the Kano chapter of the NNPP intensified following moves by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Amid the fallout, the former Kano State Chairman of the party, Hashimu Dungurawa, a known ally of Kwankwaso, was removed at the prompting of the governor, who subsequently appointed Abdullahi Zubairu Abiya as his replacement.
Abiya’s appointment was later upheld by a court, which affirmed the dismissal of Dungurawa.
However, the NNPP’s NWC declared Dungurawa’s removal a nullity and proceeded to dissolve the party’s executive committees at the ward, local government and state levels in Kano, citing provisions of the NNPP constitution.
Dissatisfied, the pro-Yusuf faction approached the Kano State High Court, where Justice Nasiru Saminu reportedly granted an order restoring the dissolved party executives across the state.
But the NNPP national leadership insisted that even if such an order existed, it was legally defective.
Johnson argued that it was improper for a court to issue an interim injunction against a decision that had already been concluded by a political party’s national leadership.
“The court lacks jurisdiction to reverse an internal decision of the party,” he said, adding that the Supreme Court has consistently held that the internal affairs of political parties are non-justiciable.
The party further warned that if the reported injunction was confirmed, it would explore all legal remedies, including petitioning the National Judicial Council (NJC) against any judicial officer found to have issued overreaching orders in breach of due process.
“The dissolution of Kano State executives at all levels therefore stands,” Johnson said.
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