NNPP Rejects Backdating of Resignations After Letter to INEC

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has rejected requests to backdate the resignation records of elected officials who allegedly failed to complete the required procedures before the party notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of their status.

The party’s founder and Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, stated this on Sunday, warning that attempts to falsify official records would not be accepted and could amount to criminality.

The position follows reports that some elected officials affected by the party’s correspondence with INEC had approached its leadership seeking to have their incomplete resignations recorded as though they had been concluded earlier.

On October 19, the NNPP wrote to INEC, alleging that Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, 18 members of the House of Representatives, 28 members of the Kano State House of Assembly and two senators elected on its platform in 2023 had not fulfilled the constitutional requirements for leaving the party.

The party’s National Chairman, Dr Agbo Major, and General Secretary, Mr Oginni Olaposi, jointly signed the letter, which questioned the validity of the affected officials’ reported resignations as they pursued political activities under other parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Aniebonam said the party was not seeking to force former members to return but insisted that anyone choosing to leave must comply with the relevant procedures. He said those who had approached the leadership were advised to begin the resignation process through their respective wards and ensure the records were properly documented in line with the party’s constitution.

He maintained that the NNPP constitution, the Nigerian Constitution and applicable electoral legislation set out procedures for party membership and resignation that could not be disregarded at an individual’s convenience.

The party also disclosed that it intended to update its letter to INEC to include some elected officials from Katsina and Jigawa states who it alleged had similarly failed to complete their resignation processes.

According to Aniebonam, resignation letters submitted at ward level were not sufficient, in the party’s view, if they were not properly recorded at the national secretariat and supported by documentary evidence. He said the national secretary was responsible for maintaining the party’s membership register.

He added that the NNPP would present its records if the matter resulted in post-election litigation, while insisting that the party would attend to members seeking to complete the required process.

The party further argued that officials who had not validly ended their membership could face difficulties seeking nomination under another political platform for the 2027 elections. It said members who had been expelled were exempt from the dispute over resignations.

Aniebonam also stated that the party had secured favourable court decisions concerning its recognition and original logo, which it said would enable it to field candidates for the next general elections.

The dispute places the formalities surrounding party defections and membership records at the centre of a developing political issue ahead of the 2027 polls.