A faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party has dragged the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and 13 others to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over an alleged misappropriation of over N2bn, The Courage.
The faction in a petition by its National Secretary, Oginni Olaposi, alleged that there was mismanagement of the party’s fund.
Olaposi in the petition addressed to the EFCC chairman, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, said an estimated sum of N2.5bn made from the sales of nomination forms, membership subscription fees, and donations were not accounted for by expelled leadership of the party.
The party secretary lamented that the alleged misappropriation led to the non-payment of allowance to party agents that participated in the 2023 general elections across the country.
He urged the EFCC boss to investigate the account of the party from March 2022 till date.
The petition reads partly, “The whole thing became obvious when payments due to polling agents during the elections were denied, NNPP’s members across the country became frustrated and till today the agents allowance for 2023 general elections remained unpaid.”
It added that all the NNPP’s polling agents are still demanding for their money and threatening breach of peace if not paid.
“Mr. Chairman sir, you may be surprised to know that till today, all the money from the sales of nomination forms, membership subscription fees and donations made by donors and friends of the party are yet to be accounted for.
“Recognising the fact that anyone coming to equity must come with clean hands, It is our concern that a party with the potentiality of forming a government of a new Nigeria must make sure that charity begins at home by purging ourselves of every tendency of corruption and mismanagement of funds.
“On the aforementioned allegations, we hereby request that you investigate the account of New Nigeria People’s Party starting from March 2022 till date,” the petition added.
Reacting via a phone chat, the spokesman of Kwankwaso Presidential Campaign Council, Ladipo Johnson, said the party does not have a faction, insisting that a non-member of the party cannot ask how money was spent.
While describing the faction as mere distractors, Johnson said the party is unperturbed by the petition written against Kwankwaso as regards the alleged misappropriation.
He added, “We don’t have a faction. These people are not a faction of the party, they can petition anywhere they want to petition; they are no longer members of the party. They can continue to write spurious petitions and allegations.
“Were they there when they were raising N2bn? Did they raise N2b? Talk is cheap.
“What you should ask them is what has happened to about four to five cases taken to court. What has the court said? A person who is outside an organisation; who has been expelled or not a member of the organisation cannot begin to ask questions that someone should come and investigate such an organisation.”
Johnson further said, “They can go to EFCC, Police and do whatever they want to do. They are meddlesome interlopers who do not have a leg to stand.
“They can continue to try disparage the reputation of Senator Kwankwaso or anyone they choose. It is just their frustration. We have no problem, they should go and find out how to solve their own problems. “I have nothing to say about them; they are a distraction, they want to constitute themselves into a pest, but we will not let them distract us.”
