Kano: Justice will be done, says NNPP founder, Aniebonam
NNPP founder Boniface Aniebonam
By Uzor Odigbo
Founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, has reacted to the Appeal Court judgement that sacked Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State on Friday, November 17, 2023.
He described the news of Abba Yusuf’s sacking as a rude shock following the manner the judgement was delivered.
“It was a rude shock to me hearing the verdict of the Appeal Court in Abuja today against the governor of Kano State Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). I do know that it is only the NNPP and its members that can determine who is a member of the party or not.”
Aniebonam, the founder of NAGAFF, a freight forwarding outfit stressed that “I also know that a party and its members can bring into the party and grant such a person a waiver to go into election and represent the party in an election.
“I also know and believe that it is only someone who contested nomination under NNPP that can challenge the membership of the party in an election.”
Dr Aniebonam averred that, “To the contrary, no other person has the locus standi to raise objection.”
According to him, NNPP still believes that justice will not only be done but seen to have been done.
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“Our hope is alive ahead the supreme Court judgement in due time.
“I hereby encourage all members of our great party and indeed the indigenes of Kano in particular to keep faith with final decision of God under this avoidable circumstances,” he said.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Friday nullified the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices led by Justice Moore A. Adumein upheld the appeal of Nasir Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It held that Governor Yusuf was not a valid candidate in the gubernatorial election held in the state on March 18.
The panel maintained that evidence that was adduced by the parties established that Governor Yusuf was not a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, at the time the election was held.
According to the court, Yusuf, under Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, was not qualified to contest the governorship election since he was not validly sponsored by the NNPP.
The panel held that every political party shall maintain the register of its members as provided in Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The court said the appellant, to his own detriment, did not submit his NNPP membership registrar or even tendered his statement on oath regarding his membership of the party.
The court said the 1999 Constitution made it mandatory for a political party to have a membership register and submit the same to INEC and the Tribunal when needed.
Justice Adumein said, “As rightfully found, Yusuf Abba was not a member of the NNPP at the time he was purportedly sponsored by his party, and he was not qualified to contest the March Governorship Election.”
The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal had declared Gawuna winner of the March 18 election.
The tribunal on September 20 overturned the Independent National Electronic Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) announcement of Yusuf with 1,019,602 votes against Gawuna’s 890,705 votes following APC’s petition.