The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano has suspended a senator and three members of the House of Representatives over alleged anti-party activities, igniting a fresh crisis within the party.
However, the affected lawmakers have rejected their suspension, calling it illegal and politically motivated.
NNPP’s state chairman, Alhaji Hashimu Dungurawa, announced the decision in Kano, naming the suspended legislators as Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila (Kano South), Abdullahi Sani Rogo (Rogo Federal Constituency), Abdullahi Rurum (Rano/Kibiya), and Ali Maadakin Gini (Dala Federal Constituency).
Dungurawa accused them of betraying the party despite being given direct tickets during the last elections. He specifically pointed out that Sumaila recently hosted a high-profile event, which included the wedding of his daughter and the convocation of his private university, without inviting NNPP leaders.
“It is unfortunate that none of our party members, who supported him, was invited to the event, including our national leader, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and the Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
“This action has really sparked curiosity about Senator Kawu inviting his opponents, especially those who kicked against his bid to clinch the ticket in their political party,” he said.
The suspended lawmakers dismissed the move as a sham, insisting that Dungurawa had no authority to expel them.
“This reckless move is not just illegal; it is a desperate act by a faction that has already been expelled from the NNPP and holds no authority whatsoever,” they said in a joint statement.
They also accused Kwankwaso of sidelining party members and running NNPP without respect for democratic principles. Citing a court ruling, they argued that Kwankwaso and his loyalists had no legal claim to the party’s leadership.
Meanwhile, a factional chairman of NNPP in Kano, Senator Mas’ud El-Jibril Doguwa, dismissed the suspension as irrelevant, insisting that he remained the party’s legitimate leader in the state. He argued that the affected lawmakers were still recognised members of NNPP under the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
