The National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Mr Ladipo Johnson, has firmly rejected recent remarks made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, concerning alleged divisions within the NNPP.
Speaking on Politics HQ, a current affairs programme aired by News Central, Mr Johnson described Dr Ganduje’s statements as “inconsequential” and dismissed them as a misrepresentation of the reality within the NNPP.
“Well, the first thing I say is that Ganduje’s words are inconsequential,” Mr Johnson stated. “Two, Ganduje needs to go and open the dictionary and learn the meaning of the word ‘factions’, or ‘faction’, or ‘factionalised’. He really needs to go and learn it. We don’t have a faction, we don’t have factions within the NNPP.”
Dr Ganduje had previously alleged that the NNPP was plagued by “serious lacerations due to an intractable and untreatable factionalisation”. However, Mr Johnson rebuffed these claims, stating that those perceived as splinter groups were, in fact, expelled members clinging to outdated party symbols.
“You have some people who are expelled, who carry the logo—an old logo that has been changed. The logo is not before INEC. INEC is clear as to who, or which person, or who the national chairman of the NNPP is,” he clarified.
Mr Johnson also accused the expelled individuals of abusing judicial processes to gain perceived legitimacy. He claimed they had secured a default judgement in Abia State by misleading the court with obsolete party documents.
“You see, these renegade group of people went to some corner of Abia State, got a default judgment. They served themselves. But they took before that court an old constitution. INEC was not there. We were not there,” he explained.
He noted that a motion had already been filed to set aside the ruling, with a court decision expected in June.
“When you went to do that, did you tell the courts that, ‘oh, there’s a subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court that says we are no longer members?’ They didn’t say that,” Mr Johnson asserted.
“They went, they misled the court in Abia. I’ve forgotten the town. Some corner of Abia, not in the middle, or not at the city centre. And that is what they did.”
He stressed that while the NNPP acknowledges the judgment for now, it does not reflect the current status or structure of the party.
“So as far as we’re concerned, it was obtained by fraud, et cetera, et cetera. But are we disobeying it, pending the setting aside? The answer is no,” he said. “We’re not disobeying it, because any ruling or order they got was regarding the old NNPP with the basket of fruits.”
Mr Johnson highlighted that the NNPP underwent major transformations in April 2024, including changes to the party’s logo, colours, and constitution.
“They forgot that in April 2024, the logo and colours and constitution of the NNPP had been changed to red and white, educational book, et cetera, et cetera,” he stated.
Concluding his remarks, Mr Johnson delivered a scathing final blow: “For me, Ganduje is a non-starter.”
