The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has rejected calls to backdate the resignation of elected officials who left the party without completing the required procedures, warning that falsifying records could amount to criminality.
The party’s Founder and Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, stated this in a statement issued on Sunday, warning individuals approaching members of the party’s leadership to seek backdated resignation documents to desist from the practice.
Aniebonam said the party would not accommodate requests to backdate incomplete resignation processes, insisting that affected members must comply with the provisions of the NNPP constitution and applicable electoral laws.
The party was reacting to reports that some elected officials affected by its recent letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had approached its leadership to regularise their resignations retrospectively.
In a letter dated October 19, the NNPP informed INEC that Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, 18 members of the House of Representatives, 28 members of the Kano State House of Assembly and two senators elected on its platform in 2023 had allegedly failed to fulfil the constitutional requirements for resigning from the party.
The letter, jointly signed by the NNPP National Chairman, Dr Agbo Major, and its General Secretary, Oginni Olaposi, stated that the affected officials had joined other political parties and were participating in preparations for the 2027 general elections without completing the prescribed resignation procedures.
The party said it had advised those seeking to regularise their status to return to their respective wards and begin the resignation process in accordance with the NNPP constitution, ensuring that all necessary documents were properly completed.
According to Aniebonam, the NNPP constitution, as amended in 2023, contains provisions governing members’ resignation, while the Electoral Act 2026, as amended, regulates relevant aspects of party membership, nominations and participation in elections.
He reaffirmed the party’s commitment to respecting individuals’ freedom to choose their political affiliations while maintaining that such decisions must be properly documented in accordance with the law.
