The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has demanded that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, should respond to its letter to the commission on the leadership crisis in the party.
The party in the letter dated April 3, 2024, asked INEC to accept and permit the Board of Trustees and founder of the party, Boniface Aniebonam, who is a life member of the board to take charge of the party’s statutory responsibilities pending the resolution of its internal crisis.
In a copy of the letter by Templum Solicitors, which INEC acknowledged, the party said the lingering crisis would make it difficult to function as a registered political party in Nigeria.
In a statement on Wednesday in Lagos by Aniebonam, the NNPP decried the inability of the commission to attend to the letter.
The party said the Kwankwasiya Movement under the leadership of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is not a registered political party in Nigeria. It is therefore inappropriate on the part of INEC to allow itself to be used to perpetrate illegality
“A big organisation like INEC is charged with election matters in Nigeria should be able to run a simple administration of responding to correspondences and giving direction to the issues of urgent importance.
“The letter was sent and acknowledged by INEC on April 3, 2024, and it is getting to two months now without any reply from the commission. This is unbelievable and inappropriate.
“The delay in response is affecting the party negatively especially with governorship elections coming up in Edo and Ekiti.”
The party appealed to the INEC Chairman to urgently ensure a prompt response to the letter to enable it to attend to the needs of members and intending members.
“The NNPP was established in 2002 and has been participating in all elections in Nigeria. Therefore any action by INEC by way of continued delay may affect its participation in upcoming governorship polls ahead of the 2027 general election,” it stated.