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Over Ownership Of The Party
The National Association of Government Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) is in fierce battle with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwanso. The 2023 New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP ) presidential candidate. Kwankwanso, the former Kano State Governor picked the NNPP ticket when he was denied the PDP ticket in 2022. He abandoned PDP and joined NNPP. He contested and won the presidential primary held at Abuja. And less than two years in NNPP, according to NAGAFF, Kwankwanso now, believes that with him joining the NNPP, he has been able to give the party the much recognition it deserves. He claims he helped Kano State win the gubernatorial election and made the party win at the tribunal against the opposition party. With this, NAGAFF has insisted Kwankwaso, rather than be humble, has carried himself with arrogance. NAGAFF claimed that NNPP as a political party is as old as the People Democratic Party ( PDP) and other political parties.
To NAGAFF, Kwankwanso is playing politics and is on the verge to hijack the party from the original owners and members of the National Association of Government approved Freight Forwarders and right now, the sum of #150milliin naira has been raised as legal fee by the freight Forwarders of NAGAFF led by its President to combat the serial litigations instigated by Kwankwanso to retrieve NNPP from him. Senator Kwankwanso headed to Kano State High Court to institute Court case against NNPP and its original owners.
According to NAGAFF National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Clement Iwegbuna, “ Senator Kwankwanso should be taught the principles of humility and gratefulness to people who have been nice to him. He has become very arrogant by claiming to have brought NNPP to relevance and recognition. He forgot that NNPP is as Old as PDP Spanning twenty four years in existence. NNPP provided him opportunity to contest the Presidency of Nigeria in 2023 with great men like Atiku Abubakar, Asiwaju Tinubu and Peter Obi and if the party was not winning elections, it would have been deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC).
The New Nigerian People’s Party which was established and founded by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam in 2001 has gained much recognition over the years. He also established the National Association of Government approved Freight Forwarders ( NAGAFF) in 1999 with its headquarters at Apapa. It won’t be out of place to say that the original owners of NNPP were the young and vibrant Freight Forwarders under NAGAFF then. In different interviews granted by Dr.Boniface Aniebonam, he said he has never seized to continually tell how he got the idea and revelation to set up NNPP in his dream. To him, NNPP was berthed through the dream he had. “ NNPP is an intervention from God. Its an inspiration I got to set it up. Just like I founded NAGAFF, I went through the process and procedures involved with the registration of a political party”. Dr. Aniebonam agreed that at the initial stage of the formation of the Political party, there were challenges but he said “ God intervened and along the line, people began to join and Kwankwanso and other personalities joined also”. Now NNPP is number three in political hierarchy in Nigeria.
However, before now, this reporter had an interview with Dr. Aniebonam over speculations that Kwankwanso and NNPP founding members are not in good terms and he said “myself and Kwankwanso are in good terms. No issue at all. Our relationship is very cordial “. He affirmed that truly Kwankwanso’s coming into the party changed the statusquo completely.
With the opportunities enjoyed by Senator Kwankwanso when his party denied him tickets for his Presidential ambition, NAGAFF has described him as a betrayer who wants to reap where he did not sow. They have thrown down the gauntlet, declaring that Kwankwanso will know no peace ahead of 2027 with his attempt to hijack the NNPP from it’s rightful owners. The National Publicity Secretary NAGAFF, Dr. Clement Iwegbuna described Kwankwanso as an ingrate and arrogant personality.
The conflict between the 2 begs the question of the legitimate owners of the political party which is gaining momentum day by day, which NAGAFF is on the verge of reclaiming from Kwankwanso and his cohorts whom they describe as selfish and ungrateful persons.!! Kwankwanso’s betrayal and actions has raise much tensions and upheavals in the NNPP/ NAGAFF Camp.
However, in the midst of this tussle, NAGAFF has appealed to its members and NNPP members to keep the peace and be Law abiding and respectful to the Constitution of Nigeria.
As the ownership and leadership tussle between NAGAFF and NNPP Ownership unfolds, this reminds us all of the intrigues , betrayals, drama and negative issues involved in Nigerian Politics where Personal ambitions takes over equity, fairness, justice, peace and unity of all.
–Fakeye Aderonke
(08053912959)
