The leaders of the New Nigeria People’s Party in the South West have claimed that those criticizing the new logo of the party were sponsored by opposition party.
The zonal leadership and stakeholders of the party made this known at the end of an emergency zonal meeting held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Friday.
In a statement made available to the press by the party’s South West Zonal Chairman, Prince Ademola Ayoade, he insisted that the change in the logo of the party was thoroughly discussed by the National Working Committee and ratified by the National Executive Committee as part of a constitutional amendment process, according to the Sun.
The zonal leadership and stakeholders of the party dismissed the claims made by chieftains of the party, Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeyan, and Kilamiwaye Badmus, regarding the party’s new logo.
The NNPP zonal leaders alleged that Olopoeyan and Badmus either acted out of ignorance or with the deliberate intent to mislead the public and sow discord within the party. They claimed that the men were being manipulated by political enemies to discredit the NNPP National leadership.
Olopoeyan and Badmus had publicly accused the NNPP’s National Leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, of making the decision for the new logo without consultation with the stakeholders.
Ayoade emphasised that due democratic processes were followed, dismissing the claims made by Olopoeyan and Badmus as false, misleading, and malicious.
His words: “The whole objective of this unfortunate orchestration in their media statement was to discredit the NNPP national leadership but they have failed woefully in their assignment.
“Of course, reading between the lines, it is obvious that they are being used by our political opponents. It’s a cheap blackmail to cause disaffection within the party.”
Regarding the recent NNPP convention, the zonal chairman noted that it also followed normal democratic procedures, countering the accusation that there was a court order barring the event.
He added that the convention was postponed temporarily to comply with a court summons, which was later dismissed as lacking merit.
