The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), led by Ajuji Ahmed, has rejected claims by the faction headed by Agbo Major that it was reinstated by the court.
Ahmed’s camp, aligned with 2023 presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso, insists that the court ruling does not validate Major’s faction, which is loyal to party founder Boniface Aniebonam.
The dispute centers around a lawsuit filed by Ahmed and 20 others challenging the legitimacy of Major’s faction.
The plaintiffs sought to annul the convention that elected Major as the factional chairman and members of the National Working Committee (NWC), claiming they had been expelled for “anti-party activities.”
However, on Thursday, an Abuja High Court dismissed the case, citing lack of jurisdiction. The court ruled that disputes over party leadership fall outside judicial intervention, unless related to candidate nominations.
Segun Fiki, the defendant’s lawyer, interpreted the ruling as an affirmation of Major’s leadership under Aniebonam.
But Ahmed’s faction, through a statement by spokesperson Ladipo Johnson, clarified that the court did not reinstate Major’s group or validate their leadership.
Johnson emphasized that the court declined to comment on the case’s merits, asserting that Major’s group remains expelled from the party, with their actions still not recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He further pointed out that INEC officially recognizes Ahmed’s faction as the legitimate leadership, citing constitutional and electoral laws that mandate political parties to register their NWC members with the commission.
Johnson also urged Major’s camp to stop spreading misinformation about the court’s judgment, maintaining that the leadership of Ahmed’s faction is the only one legally acknowledged by INEC.
