The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the public to disregard congresses reportedly organised by the Kwankwasiyya Movement, led by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, describing the exercise as unconstitutional and without legitimacy.
In a statement issued on Monday, the party’s National Secretary, Ogini Olaposi, said court-sanctioned congresses of the NNPP had already been concluded, insisting that no parallel process was authorised.
This comes after the Kwankwaso-led faction notified INEC of its intention to hold fresh congresses and a national convention between November 25 and January 2026. The NNPP leadership, however, maintained that the Memorandum of Association signed with the Kwankwasiyya Movement ahead of the 2023 general elections had expired and no longer conferred any operational authority on the group.
The party further emphasised that Kwankwaso, its 2023 presidential candidate, alongside several members of his faction, remained expelled over alleged anti-party activities.
“We are still amazed that a man of Kwankwaso’s standing will insist on hijacking a party that gave him a soft landing to contest the 2023 presidential election for free,” the statement read.
The NNPP urged INEC to update its records in line with court decisions, noting that the Abia State High Court and the Federal Capital Territory High Court had affirmed the expulsion of Kwankwaso and his associates from the party’s internal processes.
The party criticised what it described as Kwankwaso’s “disrespectful” disregard for judicial rulings and called on INEC to avoid the alleged complacency of its previous leadership.
“We are still wondering why INEC has not responded to our letters demanding that judgments of the courts should be obeyed and respected,” Olaposi stated, adding that the election management body “cannot continue to sit on the fence on matters critical to peace and democratic stability.”
The party accused INEC of giving undue attention to groups seeking to “cause a crisis in our democracy,” despite being aware of binding court judgments. It said it had written multiple letters to the commission but received no satisfactory response.
The NNPP appealed to its members nationwide to disregard the “fake congresses and conventions” and assured that the party would continue to uphold lawful processes.
It also urged the electoral commission to support the sustenance of democratic norms, noting that the success of the current administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda required strict adherence to the rule of law.
