A faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has dragged the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and 13 others to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged misappropriation of over N2 billion.
In a petition signed by the faction’s National Secretary, Oginni Olaposi, the group alleged that the party’s funds were mismanaged with an estimated sum of N2.5 billion unaccounted for.
This amount, according to Olaposi, was generated from the sales of nomination forms, membership subscription fees, and donations before the elections.
The petition, addressed to the EFCC chairman, claimed that the alleged misappropriation led to the non-payment of allowances to party agents who participated in the elections across the country.
Olaposi urged the EFCC to investigate the party’s accounts from March 2022 to date.
The petition read: “The whole thing became obvious when payments due to polling agents during the elections were denied. NNPP members across the country became frustrated, and till today, the agents’ allowance for the 2023 general elections remains unpaid.
“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.
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“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.
However, the spokesman for the Kwankwaso Presidential Campaign Council, Ladipo Johnson, dismissed the allegations, stating that the party has no factions and that a non-member cannot question how money was spent.
Johnson described the faction as “mere distractors” and said the party was unperturbed by the petition.
He said: “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 N2bn? Talk is cheap.”
This development raises questions about the management of party funds and the transparency of political parties in Nigeria.
The EFCC‘s investigation into this matter will likely shed light on the allegations and potentially uncover any wrongdoing.
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