Founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, has said that Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State did not resign from the party but rather from the Kwankwasiya Movement led by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Aniebonam made the claim on Saturday while reacting to reports of the governor’s resignation from the NNPP.
In a statement, Aniebonam argued that the resignation letter attributed to the governor was not addressed to the authentic National Working Committee of the NNPP led by Dr Major Agbo, nor to the state chairman or ward secretary of the party.
He alleged that the letter was instead directed to a member of the Kwankwasiya Movement in Diso-Chiranchi Ward, Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State.
“The NNPP NWC does not recognise the Kwankwasiya movement ward chairman as chairman of the party,” he said.
Recall that Governor Yusuf was said to have resigned from the NNPP alongside 21 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives and 44 local government chairmen.
The development was announced in a statement issued on Friday by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Tofa.
Yusuf, in a letter addressed to the Chairman of Diso-Chiranchi Ward of the NNPP in Gwale Local Government Area, formally conveyed his decision to leave the party with effect from Friday.
“I write with a deep sense of gratitude to formally notify the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party of my decision to resign my membership of the party, with effect from Friday, 23rd January 2026,” the governor stated.
However, Aniebonam said the resignation of Yusuf and other elected officials was unknown to him in his capacity as NNPP leader, founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
“The NNPP lifted the governor’s suspension from its membership and directed that he took responsibility of its leadership, being the highest elected officer of the party.
“You will recall that the Abia State High Court and Federal Capital Territory High Court judgment directed INEC to recognise and handover NNPP administration to the Aniebonam-led board of trustees of the party.
” The Federal Capital Territory High Court equally issued an enrolment order, restraining INEC from dealing and transacting any business with the Kwankwasiya movement” he said.
He stressed that the NNPP is a duly registered political party, while the Kwankwasiya Movement is only a pressure group operating within the party.
Aniebonam further stated that the Memorandum of Association with the movement had been terminated and that the former NWC led by Dr Ahmed Ajuji was expelled for alleged anti-party activities following the 2023 presidential election.
“Yusuf and others in the legislative arm of Kano state won elections under the platform of NNPP with Logo of Basket of Fruits and not Kwankwasiya insignia of book and red colour,” he added.
He described the delay by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in updating its records to reflect the Dr Agbo Major and Mr Oginni Olaposi-led NWC as an administrative lapse.
“This has nothing to do with judgments of the courts which must be obeyed.
” Accordingly, the ongoing judicial review at the FCT High Court is to compel INEC to update its records.
Aniebonam said the reasons given for Yusuf’s resignation had been noted, adding that the party had no dispute with the governor over personal political choices.
“The reasons for Yusuf’s resignation is noted but what is certain is that the NNPP has no issues with the governor and personal decisions he wishes to make.
“We blame the tragedy of members in Kano wanting to opt out on the high handedness of Kwankwaso, which is highly regretted,” he said.
He called on NNPP members in Kano State and across the country to remain calm and stay committed to the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
