In a significant legal development, the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra state capital issued an oral ruling today on the contentious case brought forth by the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and five others against Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and ten others.
Presiding Judge Nnamdi Dimgba declined jurisdiction, citing doubts over the legal status of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the NNPP founders and the Kwankwassiyya Movement in the suit no – FHC/AWK/CS/150/2023.
This disclosure was made by the Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulsalam, the party’s national publicity secretary on Friday, December 8.
“The judge emphasized that internal party disputes should be resolved through the party’s constitutionally provided internal dispute resolution mechanism. Additionally, he questioned the validity of Kwankwaso’s claim as the party’s leader, considering it a common political assertion.
“Notably, the judge did not rule on key issues raised by the plaintiffs, including the permanence of the founder’s office, the validity of expulsions, and the accountability of funds collected during the 2022 nomination and screening exercises.
“Critically, it has been argued that the trial judge erred in dismissing the MOU’s validity, as the document was allegedly signed by Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. The NNPP, led by National Chairman Dr. Agbo Major, has filed a Notice of Appeal to the Court of Appeal, intending to present additional grounds of appeal upon receiving the written judgment and record of appeal.”
In a call for peace, NNPP urges its members to avoid actions resembling the Kwankwassiyya Movement’s tendencies to take to the streets over perceived unfavorable judgments. The party expresses confidence in the Court of Appeal’s ability to impartially examine the signed MOU and hopes for a just resolution.
The NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Abdulrahman, also appealed to the Supreme Court to disregard the actions of the Kwankwassiyya Movement led by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso in an unrelated governorship appeal, emphasizing that such actions do not represent the NNPP’s identity in its two-decade history in Nigerian politics.
The party thereafter seeks justice for its candidate, Gov Yusuf of Kano State, emphasizing his longstanding membership in the NNPP before and after the 2023 Gubernatorial Election.
