The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has submitted a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking an investigation into the alleged mismanagement and embezzlement of party funds between March 2022 and April 2024.
The party accuses Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and 13 others of diverting campaign funds meant for the party’s electoral campaigns, including the 2023 General Elections.
The petition, dated May 2, 2024, urges the EFCC to investigate the personal accounts of the individuals implicated in the scandal. Among those named are Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Alhaji Garuba Kwankwaso, Ms. Folashade Aliu, Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, and Dr. Herbert Wigwe, the former CEO of Access Bank.
The NNPP alleges that Dr. Wigwe, with the assistance of Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, donated a substantial sum in Naira and Dollar to the party through Senator Kwankwaso, aimed at boosting the party’s campaign efforts in Kano State. However, according to the petition, the funds were not deposited into the official accounts of the NNPP as legally required.
“Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso allegedly received the donation but failed to remit the funds to any of the party’s accounts,” the petition states. “Instead, he allegedly used proxies, including Alhaji Garuba Kwankwaso and Ms. Folashade Aliu, to perpetrate fraudulent transactions related to the presidential campaign.”
The NNPP has called on the EFCC to trace the alleged secret accounts where these funds were allegedly stored. They are seeking the recovery of the funds and accountability for the parties involved in the alleged mismanagement.
“Given the magnitude of this fraud, we are relying on the capabilities of the EFCC to help us uncover the details of the missing campaign funds and donations,” the petition concludes. “We believe that no individual should be above investigation, and we are confident that the commission will act to address this issue.”
The petition, signed by Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday, the National Secretary of NNPP, calls for a thorough probe into the matter, with assurances that all the implicated individuals will be subject to investigation, irrespective of their status.
