Crisis deepens as NNPP Kano factions clash over Jibrin

Rival factions of the NNPP in Kano State clash over Abdulmumin Jibrin’s expulsion as Doguwa dismisses the move and accuses Dungurawa of illegality.

The crisis rocking the Kano State chapter of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has taken another twist as two rival factions continue to battle for supremacy, this time over the purported expulsion of a sitting federal lawmaker, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa.

On Friday, the Kwankwasiyya-led faction of the NNPP, under the chairmanship of Hashim Sulaiman Dungurawa, announced that Jibrin had been expelled from the party.

The faction accused the lawmaker, who represents Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, of gross anti-party activities and failing to remit his mandatory financial contributions to the party.

Dungurawa claimed that the disciplinary decision was taken after repeated warnings and consultations with stakeholders.

However, the announcement was swiftly countered by Senator Jibrin Doguwa, who leads a rival faction of the party in the state.

Doguwa dismissed the decision outright, describing it as an “illegal, baseless, and unenforceable act” carried out without the consent of the legitimate party leadership.

He insisted that the expulsion holds no credibility since, according to him, it was orchestrated by a group lacking lawful authority within the party.

“I am the authentic chairman of the NNPP in Kano State,” Doguwa declared in a statement.

“Whatever decision was announced by Dungurawa and his group is null and void. It does not emanate from the recognized leadership of the party, and as such, it cannot stand.”

Doguwa went further to defend Abdulmumin Jibrin against the allegations of anti-party activities.

He noted that the television interview recently granted by the lawmaker, which reportedly triggered controversy within the Kwankwasiyya camp, did not amount to disloyalty.

Instead, he argued that Jibrin exercised his democratic right to freedom of expression.

“What Hon. Kofa said was not anti-party by any measure. Every politician has the constitutional right to associate with whichever political platform they choose.

“Let us not forget that even President Bola Ahmed Tinubu moved across several parties before emerging as Nigeria’s President,” Doguwa explained.

In addition to dismissing the expulsion, the factional chairman accused Dungurawa of consistently overstepping his authority and warned that legal action would be taken if the rival faction continued to parade itself as the decision-making body of the party.

“If Dungurawa and his group do not stop this illegality, then we shall meet them in court to put an end to these excesses once and for all,” Doguwa threatened.

The confrontation between the two factions highlights the deepening cracks within the NNPP in Kano State.

Analysts believe the crisis is rooted in the broader struggle for dominance between the Kwankwasiyya movement—led by former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso—and other blocs within the party.

The lingering disputes, observers warn, could weaken the NNPP’s influence in Kano, a state regarded as one of its strongest political bases.

With both factions maintaining hardline positions, the political future of Abdulmumin Jibrin, a prominent figure within the NNPP and former campaign director of Bola Tinubu, remains uncertain.

What is clear, however, is that the party in Kano is heading for a prolonged period of internal battles unless a compromise is reached between the warring groups.