The New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP in Kano State has been engulfed in fresh crisis as the party suspended the Secretary to the Kano State Government, SSG, Abdullahi Baffa Bichi and the Commissioner of Transportation, Muhammad Diggol.
The crisis could not be unconnected to internal wrangling between stakeholders of the party in Bichi Local Government area of the state.
The State party Chairman, Hashimu Dungurawa, who confirmed the suspension to newsmen, said the duo were suspended over disloyalty, abuse of power and creating chaos in the party.
“Today, we are announcing that we have suspended the SSG, Abdullahi Baffa Bichi and the Commissioner of Transportation, Muhammad Diggol over abuse of power, office and disloyalty to the party.
“We commend the leadership of the party from their wards and the Local Government (Bichi North) who confirmed to us and brought the issue to us in written.
Earlier and hours before the party’s suspended the SSG, Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has waded in to broker-peace between stakeholders in New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and top echelons of Kwankwasiyya movement in the state.
In a statement by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, said the successful reconciliation held behind a close door at the Governor’s office Monday evening has put to rest the lingering crisis rocking the internal structure of the party.
The key figures involved in the reconciliation include the Secretary to State Government, SSG, Dr. Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, and the Bichi local government Chairmanship aspirant, Hon. Hon Hamza Sule Maifata.
Addressing journalists at the close door meeting, the SSG, Dr. Abdullahi Baffa Bichi accepted the intervention of Governor Yusuf and promised to resolve his difference with the factional group in his Bichi constituency and groups claiming to be his critics.
Dr. Bichi subsequently dissociated himself from the deviance group (Abba Tsaya da Kafar ka) calling for division between the Governor and the party’s national leader, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
According to Bichi, “I have since submitted myself and all my activities to Governor Abba Yusuf as our leader and accepted all that he wanted I am ready to abide with. On the factional group they are talking about, I have nothing to do with them.
“If it were 1 to tell 10 campaign initiative, everyone knows I am behind it which I have offices in all the 19 northern states but that is for the presidential campaign and the Governor is a presidential aspirant.”
On the issue of reconciliation, he said, “the Governor has already intervened and everything is over. We are all his loyalists and we are ready to abide by whatever he wants,” Bichi said
On his part, the Chairmanship candidate of the NNPP in Bichi local government, Hon. Hamza Maifata also expressed commitment to embrace peace and settle discord with the SSG.