The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has expelled Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, for refusing to appear before the party’s Disciplinary Committee.

Kwankwaso was suspended by the party’s leadership at the National Convention on August 29 in Lagos following allegations of gross anti-party activities and mismanagement of party/campaign funds.

The NEC had set up a Disciplinary Committee and directed it to invite Kwankwaso to defend the allegations within five days.

The committee reportedly sat on Thursday, August 31, but Kwankwaso did not appear.

In a fresh twist to the crisis in the party, the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, in a statement on Tuesday, said the NEC had expelled Kwankwaso with immediate effect.

“The NEC met in an emergency session on Friday, September 1 and resolved that following the refusal of Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to appear before the disciplinary committee which sat on Thursday, August 31 after being duly invited in writing, he is hereby expelled from NNPP with immediate effect,” Abdulrasaq said.

That the erstwhile presidential candidate, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso will be reported to appropriate quarters to answer questions on financial impropriety relating to mismanagement of public funds.”

The crisis within the NNPP started when the NWC of the party loyal to Kwankwaso, announced the suspension of the NNPP founder, Dr Boniface Aniebonam and the National Publicity Secretary, Dr Agbo Major, on August 24.

The suspension was in response to the expulsion of Kwankwaso’s loyalists from the party.