Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, called Friday’s Appeal Court ruling that dismissed Abba Yusuf as governor of Kano State a “rude shock.”
Aniebonam maintained that the NNPP, not the courts, is the only body that may choose its members in response to the court decision that declared Yusuf’s election victory to be illegitimate.
In a statement released on Saturday, he stated, “I do know that only the NNPP and its members can determine who is a member of the party.”
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“I am also aware that a party or its members have the authority to admit someone into the party and forgo their right to run for office and represent the party in elections.
“I also understand and think that the only person who can dispute the party’s membership in an election is someone who ran for nomination under the NNPP.
“On the other hand, nobody else is entitled to voice an objection.”
According to the NNPP founder, any candidate might be sponsored by the party by being granted permission to run for office on its platform.
Aniebonam insisted that only competitor candidates who ran for the nomination had the authority to oppose a candidate’s NNPP membership.
The leader of the Nigerian National Party (NNPP) urged party members and Kano people to be optimistic despite the legal challenge, even as they hoped for justice to win at the Supreme Court.
“We are optimistic that the Supreme Court will rule in good time.
“Under these preventable circumstances, I hereby encourage all members of our great party and indeed the indigenous people of Kano in particular to keep faith with God’s final decision,” he declared.
On Friday, the Appeal Court upheld an earlier ruling that nullified Yusuf’s victory on the grounds that he was not an NNPP member when the election occurred.
It consequently declared the APC’s Nasiru Gawuna as the duly elected governor.
Yusuf, who assumed office in May after a run-off poll victory, now faces an uncertain future following his latest court setback. The NNPP is expected to appeal the judgment at the Supreme Court.