Expulsion:Kano NNPP Replies Rep Kofa, Says No Need For Fair Hearing
By Abdullahi Yusuf
The Kano State chapter of the New Nigeria Peoples Party(NNPP) says member representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa, does not need fair hearing and stands expelled from the party.
The Chairman of the party, Alhaji Hashimu Suleiman Dungurawa,stated this while responding to claims by Kofa that the party did not give him fair hearing before expelling him.
The lawmaker had in a statement issued to newsmen faulted the NNPP leadership for failing to give him an opportunity to defend himself before taking action.
“No invitation was extended to me to explain myself by any organ of the party. Even under military dictatorship, an accused is subjected to a court martial. Perhaps, if due process was followed, there may not have been a need for such a harsh decision to force me out of a party and family I love dearly,” he lamented.
But Dungurawa told Journalists in Kano that there was to need to give the expelled lawmaker any fair hearing as he had publicly stated that he could leave the NNPP for another party.
He also explained that Kofa stated that he was not supporting the party’s standard flagbearer.
“How can you give fair hearing to a person who publicly declared that he is planning to leave his party to another one,and that he is not supporting the flagbearer of the party that gave him the platform on which he won his present position,” he queried.
“What kind of fair hearing will you give that kind of member that has already made up his mind to leave the party.Giving him any fair hearing is, therefore,a waste of time,so we expelled from the party,” the chairman said.
On claims by a faction of the NNPP which carries the logo of fruits and vegetables that it is the bonafide party recognized by INEC and the law, Dungurawa dismissed the assertion, saying that their own faction with the Logo of book and academic regalia is the authentic NNPP.
According to him,the attendance of INEC officials of the recent national meeting of their own faction held in Abuja testified to the validity of his claim.