The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has directed its state executive officers nationwide to immediately begin mobilisation of politicians with capacity and integrity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party also directed the state executive to begin a membership drive and registration and to update its existing register.

This is contained in a statement by its founder and chairman of the Board of Trustees, Boniface Aniebonam, in Lagos on Friday.

Mr Aniebonam stated that all state and local government executives of the NNPP must ensure that the politicians they accept into the party have verifiable records, integrity, and honour.

“Our time was so taken in the leadership tussle between the NNPP and the Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso-led Kwankwasiya Movement.

“The attempts to hijack the NNPP led to litigations that affected our ability to participate in elections held in the past.

“Now that we are almost done with the issues involved, all hands must be on deck to advance the NNPP’s primary objective to enthrone good governance in Nigeria with the fear of God,” Mr Aniebonam stated.

According to him, existing members who are unwilling to conform to the NNPP’s ideals are free to join other parties.

“We have no grudge against anyone, but rather we appreciate and pray for those who are no longer our members to find favour wherever they may have gone.

“As mortals and in line with God’s wisdom, we must forgive our former members in spite of their betrayals that led to their expulsion.

“Those of you who are worried about their distractions and negative intentions should not be, because we are children of God. Victory shall be ours, and it’s our hope and belief that everything shall be alright shortly,” the politician said.

He stated that as the founder of the NNPP, he had long put the betrayals behind him and bore no grudge against Mr Kwankwaso and Buba Galadima in particular.

“We were only advising the Kwankwasiya Movement group to stop making negotiations with the NNPP name and use of the wrong logo.

“The NNPP logo is a basket of fruits with green and white colour, and not red colour and a book; the latter is the Kwankwasiya Movement logo.

“It is our hope that Kwankwaso and his group shall take advantage of the multi-party system in Nigeria to make a choice of joining any of the registered political parties in Nigeria or reactivate their own NAP (Nigeria Alliance Party), earlier deregistered by INEC.

Mr Aniebonam pointed out that he registered the NNPP in 2001 and that Mr Kwankwaso joined the party in 2022 under the aegis of the Kwankwasiya Movement and was given the party’s ticket for the 2023 presidential elections.

“We equally entered a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kwankwasiya Movement for the sole purpose of the election, which expired after the election,” he added.

(NAN)