The National Working Committee of the New Nigeria Peoples Party has strongly denounced a recent Federal High Court ruling in Abia that ordered the takeover of the party’s administration by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam.
The NNPP has labeled the judgment a “fraud” and declared it legally ineffective.
In a statement released in Abuja by NNPP National Publicity Secretary Ladipo Johnson, the party described the court’s judgment as being issued “per incuriam,” a legal term meaning it was made without regard to relevant law, rendering it invalid. Johnson clarified that the judgment was allegedly based on the party’s constitution, which was amended on April 6, 2024.
He also noted that the individuals claiming to be members of the Board of Trustees, including Dr. Aniebonam, had already been expelled from the NNPP—a decision that had been upheld by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court in Abia had mandated an immediate takeover of the NNPP’s BOT by a group chaired by Dr. Aniebonam. However, Johnson asserted that the Abia court lacked jurisdiction over the case, as no official summons or legal documents were served to the NNPP at its registered office.
“None of the authentic National Working Committee officers, whose names and addresses are registered with INEC as required by the CFRN 1999 (as amended), received the process leading to this judgment,” he stated.
He further emphasized that the registered office of the NNPP, as listed with the Independent National Electoral Commission is located at No. 11 Mahatma Gandhi Street, Area 11, Garki, Abuja, in accordance with Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act of 2022.
Additionally, Johnson highlighted that a Federal High Court in Abuja had previously ruled that the alleged BOT members in question had been officially expelled from the NNPP and thus had no legitimate authority within the party.
The court also affirmed that the BOT serves merely as an advisory body with no executive powers, making the Abia ruling contradictory to existing judgments.
In his concluding remarks, Johnson characterized the Abia judgment as a “spurious” decision obtained through fraudulent means. “To the extent that it contradicts an existing Federal High Court ruling from the Abuja division, this Abia judgment has no legal standing whatsoever,” he declared.
