Stakeholders of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kaduna have threatened legal action to compel the party to drop Suleiman Hunkuyi as its governorship candidate.

The stakeholders had on Sunday staged a protest at the party’s secretariat, urging the party to drop Mr Hunkuyi as its candidate for the 2023 general elections.

A spokesperson for the group, Ibrahim Murtala, said on Monday signatures were being compiled from stakeholders in preparations for legal action against NNPP.

“We insist that Hunkuyi must step aside as an option, or we will be forced to obtain a court injunction to stop him from contesting,” Mr Murtala stated, adding that the group has sufficient evidence to show that the governorship candidate was not committed to the party.

“We can’t afford to lose the election in the state because of a mistake in fielding the wrong candidate for the election. We have written several letters to state party executives apart from verbal complaints, but we are yet to get a response,” explained Mr Murtala.

He added, “Therefore, we have no option but to go to court for justice. We can’t afford to sacrifice the hard work and dedication of the teeming supporters of our party because of some selfish interest.”

Meanwhile, Ben Kure, the NNPP chairman in Kaduna, said the party was working to resolve the issue.

“It is true that we are having some concerns over our ability to win the 2023 governorship election. This is largely traceable to the governorship candidate himself,” stated Mr Kure. “So, whoever feels that this is wrong can challenge it in court. Every member of the party has the right to challenge any decision.”

Mr Kure revealed that the choice of Hunkuyi was made in haste.

“Let me tell you that the only way to succeed in the governorship election is to get a substitution. We can’t afford to face the election the way things are now in the state,” he noted. “Honestly, Hunkuyi has shown that he is not ready for the governorship contest right from the beginning, although he won the confidence of Kwankwaso and other national leaders.”

(NAN)