By Sandra Chukwunyere
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has dismissed claims that Barr. Ladipo Johnson resigned from the party, insisting that he had long ceased to be a member following his alignment with the Kwankwasiyya Movement led by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
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Johnson, a lawyer who often issued statements as spokesperson of the Kwankwasiyya faction of the NNPP, recently announced his resignation from the party amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a resignation letter dated May 4, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of NNPP Ward G1 (Shitta/Ogunlana Ward) in Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State, Johnson said his resignation takes immediate effect, citing the need for a “broader national realignment of the opposition.”
However, reacting in a statement on Friday, NNPP National Secretary, Comrade Ogini Olaposi, said Johnson merely followed his political leader, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, who he claimed had already moved on from the party.
According to Olaposi, Johnson and other loyalists of the Kwankwasiyya Movement had continued to parade themselves as NNPP members despite allegedly abandoning the party long ago.
“Kwankwaso and Buba Galadima, major actors in the NNPP internal wranglings and attempted takeover, had already declared membership of other parties, yet some of their followers still clung to the NNPP name while issuing statements in support of their new political camps,” he said.
Olaposi further stated that Johnson had recently issued a statement suggesting that the NNPP would conduct its primaries before the end of May, despite allegedly knowing he was no longer part of the party.
“The same Ladipo, who already knew where he belonged politically, recently announced that NNPP would hold its primaries before May runs out. Now he has openly joined his master. He was among those expelled from the party for anti-party activities,” Olaposi added.
The NNPP National Secretary maintained that the expulsion of members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, including their leader, had been upheld by both the Court of Appeal in Owerri and the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
“It therefore stands to reason that they have no party and did not resign from the NNPP because they were no longer members,” he said.
Olaposi also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of refusing to comply with court rulings recognising what he described as the authentic leadership of the NNPP.
According to him, the FCT High Court had restrained INEC from dealing with the Kwankwasiyya group, while the Court of Appeal in Owerri also directed the electoral body to update its records within 72 hours.
He expressed disappointment that INEC had allegedly failed to comply with the court directives more than 30 days later.
“If truly we want to get it right in Nigeria, conscience and obedience to the rule of law must come into play. Anything built on falsehood will never stand the test of time,” Olaposi stated.
The development further highlights the ongoing internal crisis within the NNPP, with competing factions to assert control over the party’s structure ahead of the 2027 general elections. Political observers say the dispute remains one of the key challenges shaping opposition realignments in the country.
