The crisis within the New Nigeria People’s Party in Kano State has taken a new turn. On Sunday, a faction of the party rejected the outcome of the recently concluded national convention of the party held in Abuja, it dusmissed the convention on the ground that it cannot be recognized as legitimate.
The factional chairman of the NNPP in Kano, Senator Mas’ud Doguwa, while addressing newsmen on Sunday described the convention organised by the Kwankwaso-led faction as illegal and lacking due process.
Doguwa, a former senator, stated that his faction remained committed to the rule of law and would not support any party activity carried out in violation of subsisting court processes.
“I do not expect anybody to think that I will recognise that convention as legal.
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“As a former senator, I respect the rule of law, and we should all respect the courts. You cannot build a democratic party on illegality,” he said.
Doguwa added thst the Abuja gathering was neither inclusive nor nationally representative, arguing that critical stakeholders were excluded from the process.
“That was not a national convention. What they held was just a Kano convention or, at best, a Kwankwasiyya meeting.
“They never contacted us. We were not invited. That was simply a group meeting of one faction,” Doguwa said.
He stressed that genuine reconciliation must precede any credible convention or leadership arrangement within the party, warning that attempts to impose leadership without consensus would further deepen internal divisions.
“If there must be peace in the NNPP, a sincere reconciliation committee must first be set up.
“Until that is done, whatever they are doing will not unite the party,” he added.
Doguwa also dismissed speculations that his faction was backing any aspirant ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly the Kano governorship race, saying it was too early for such endorsements.
“A lot of our members are aggrieved. There is no basis for endorsing any candidate now.
“It is too early to support anyone for governor. For now, we are not supporting anybody,” he said.
The comments come amid growing tensions within the NNPP following the conduct of the party’s national convention in Abuja on Saturday.
PUNCH Online recalls that the Kwankwaso-led faction of the NNPP re-elected Ahmed Ajuji as National Chairman at the convention, where he emerged unopposed through a voice vote monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Dipo Olayoku was also returned unopposed as National Secretary, alongside other members of the National Working Committee, with delegates at the convention affirming the outcomes of the elections.
In his acceptance speech, Ajuji pledged that the re-elected leadership would work to advance the objectives of the party, with a strong focus on winning the 2027 general elections.
In his acceptance speech, Ajuji pledged that the re-elected leadership would work to advance the objectives of the party, with a strong focus on winning the 2027 general elections.
He said the leadership accepted the responsibility entrusted to it to manage the affairs of the NNPP over the next four years and urged national officers to regard their re-election as a renewed call to service and adherence to their oath of office.
However, Doguwa maintained that without broad-based inclusion and respect for legal processes, the convention’s outcomes would continue to face resistance from aggrieved factions within the party.
