The Katsina State chapter of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has dismissed its deputy governorship candidate, Muttaqa Rabe‑Darma, along with state party chairman Sani Liti and several other top executives. The party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Nasiru Usman‑Kankia, announced the sackings while briefing journalists on Friday in Katsina, stating that the officials were removed for anti‑party activities, including their endorsement of the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Dikko Radda, on Thursday.
According to Usman‑Kankia, a faction of the state executive leadership convened an unauthorized meeting on Thursday, March 9, which nearly destabilised the party. An emergency executive committee meeting, attended by 19 of the 29 members, was called to examine both the immediate and underlying causes of the illegal gathering. It emerged that the meeting had been convened unconstitutionally, without the consent of the state executive committee. Although invitations were sent to state and local government executive members and ward chairmen, the stated purpose of the meeting was to discuss and disburse funds for polling‑unit agents and ward coordinators.
During the illegal meeting, the APC gubernatorial candidate was introduced, and the NNPP state chairman, Liti, the party’s governorship running mate, Rabe‑Darma, and other senior officials presented several attendees as defectors to the APC. The atmosphere quickly turned chaotic, with loyal NNPP members shouting party slogans and chanting “no, no, no,” as recounted by Usman‑Kankia. Dr. Radda later claimed that his discussion with the NNPP members concerned an alliance, not a defection.
The NNPP spokesperson reminded that on March 5 the party had warned its members, officials, and candidates against forming any alliance with another political party. The party’s directive prohibited officers, members, and candidates at all levels from negotiating or aligning with any other party for the purpose of winning upcoming governorship and legislative elections. Anyone who endorsed a candidate from another party would face sanctions under the NNPP Constitution, ranging from suspension to expulsion.
Following the emergency meeting, the executive committee decided to expel the officials and members involved in the illegal forum, pending approval from the party’s national executive committee. The individuals named for expulsion included state chairman Sani Liti; state secretary Umar Jibril; youth leader Mustapha Basheer; Katsina zonal chairman Dauda Kurfi; Funtua zonal chairman Abdulhadi Mai‑Dawa; Daura zonal chairman Dr. Sale Mashi; deputy governorship candidate Muttaqa Rabe‑Darma; and Senator Audu Yandoma.
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