Kano State Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of orchestrating the challenges faced by opposition political parties, including their election defeats.
Gwarzo made the accusation at the National Secretariat of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Abuja during INEC’s annual review exercise for registered political parties.
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“Political parties are going through hell. All these party crises are being engineered. INEC should have a way of ensuring smooth development of opposition parties. Vibrant opposition is the oxygen of our democracy. If you remove the oxygen, our democracy would not breathe,” he stated.
The NNPP National Chairman, Dr. Ajuji Ahmed, urged party members to refrain from anti-party activities, emphasizing the party’s unity. He insisted that there was no faction within the NNPP, noting that the party’s constitution, logo, and leadership are officially recognized by INEC.
“What exactly is this occasion? It is the annual INEC verification exercise conducted by the electoral umpire on all registered political parties. However, something has made this year’s exercise worthy of note. That is the fact that we have a group of expelled former members of our party, who have made themselves tools in the hands of another party and are being used to cause disunity and disaffection within the ranks of the NNPP,” Ahmed said.
He accused the expelled members of spreading false propaganda and misleading the public. “The fact that the electoral umpire, INEC, has come here today to perform their statutory duty shows that we have been, we are, and by God’s grace, shall continue to be the New Nigeria People’s Party,” Ahmed added.
Ahmed further affirmed the NNPP’s status as the ruling party in Kano State and a credible opposition in other regions, stressing the importance of discipline within the party. “We shall not tolerate members who engage in anti-party activities to do so with impunity. No matter how highly placed, all members are expected to remain disciplined and operate within the ambit of our constitution,” he warned.
On the legal front, NNPP National Legal Adviser, Robert Hon, dismissed a court judgment allegedly obtained by a faction of the party in Abia State, describing it as irrelevant.
