The Ogun State Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Sunday Oginni, has tackled the National Working Committee over his purported expulsion.
Oginni said the NWC of the party lacks the power to expel him as a member of the NWC of the party.
The NWC of the party had recommended him and his colleague in Delta for expulsion over alleged anti-party activities.
But, Oginni in a statement on Friday, said the purported expulsion came after he withdrew his petition from the election petition tribunal in the state.
The embattled chairman had withdrawn the party’s petition against the victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun over the exclusion of the party logo on the ballot.
Oginni while reacting further to his expulsion, said the state executive had taken the matter to court.
He said that the matter was already in court and that the petition at the tribunal was filed at his discretion on behalf of the party, adding that it was withdrawn in the interest of the party.
He emphasized that the withdrawal of the petition could not be regarded as anti-party activity, adding that the decision was made so that Ogun State could move forward.
He said, “I will not join issue with the national publicity secretary who alleged that I engaged in anti-party activities because this is already a matter in court.
“The anti-party activities allegation is baseless because the petition at the tribunal was filed at my own discretion on behalf of the party and I withdrew it in the interest of the party.
“It’s on record that Buba Galadima, the Secretary of NNPP’s Board of Trustees on Wednesday on Arise Television buttressed our position that NNPP at the National did not challenge the noninclusion of NNPP name on the ballot logo because they want Nigeria to move forward.
“Consequently, is it a sin for us to get out of the Tribunal to make Ogun State to move forward?”
He, therefore, said that the state party has filed a suit and asked the court for an “interlocutory injunction restraining the National Working Committee of the party from suspending, impeaching, expelling, or dissolving the state executive”.
He further stated that achieving a new Nigeria would only be possible when everyone respects the rule of law.
“The decision of the NWC cannot be greater than the constitution of the country or the party. By the constitution of the party and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I remained the Chairman of NNPP in Ogun State” he added.
