A faction inside the New Nigeria Peoples Party has filed a case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission alleging that Rabiu Kwankwaso, the party’s nominee for president in 2023, and 13 other individuals had embezzled more than N2 billion.

The faction claimed that the party’s funds had been mismanaged in a petition signed by Oginni Olaposi, its national secretary.

The ousted leadership of the party failed to account for an estimated N2.5 billion in revenue from the sales of nomination forms, membership subscription fees, and donations, according to Olaposi in the petition written to the EFCC chairman, a copy of which our correspondent was able to get on Sunday.

Party agents that took part in the 2023 election were not paid allowances as a result of the purported embezzlement, the party secretary bemoaned.

He appealed to the head of the EFCC to look into the party’s account from March 2022 onward.

The petition reads partly, “The whole thing became obvious when payments due to polling agents during the elections were denied, NNPP’s members across the country became frustrated and till today the agents allowance for 2023 general elections remained unpaid.”

It further stated that all of the NNPP’s poll workers are still requesting payment and threatening to break the peace if they are not paid.

“Mr. Chairman sir, you may be surprised to know that till today, all the money from the sales of nomination forms, membership subscription fees and donations made by donors and friends of the party are yet to be accounted for.

“Recognising the fact that anyone coming to equity must come with clean hands, It is our concern that a party with the potentiality of forming a government of a new Nigeria must make sure that charity begins at home by purging ourselves of every tendency of corruption and mismanagement of funds.

“On the aforementioned allegations, we hereby request that you investigate the account of New Nigeria People’s Party starting from March 2022 till date,” the petition added.

In response, Ladipo Johnson, the spokesman for the Kwankwaso Presidential Campaign Council, stated over the phone that the party is not divided and that an outsider is not allowed to inquire into the party’s financial practices.

Johnson said the party is not concerned by the petition against Kwankwaso regarding the purported misappropriation, calling the faction mere distractions.

He added, “We don’t have a faction. These people are not a faction of the party, they can petition anywhere they want to petition; they are no longer members of the party. They can continue to write spurious petitions and allegations.

“Were they there when they were raising N2bn? Did they raise N2b ? Talk is cheap.

“What you should ask them is what has happened to about four to five cases taken to court. What has the court said? A person who is outside an organisation; who has been expelled or not a member of the organisation cannot begin to ask questions that someone should come and investigate such an organisation.”

“They can go to EFCC, Police and do whatever they want to do. They are meddlesome interlopers who do not have a leg to stand.

“They can continue to try disparage the reputation of Senator Kwankwaso or anyone they choose. It is just their frustration. We have no problem, they should go and find out how to solve their own problems .

“I have nothing to say about them; they are a distraction, they want to constitute themselves into a pest, but we will not let them distract us.” Johnson further said.