Founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr Boniface Aniebonam, has restated the commitment of his party to enshrine a new Nigeria where the glory days would be restored.
He stressed that the upcoming elections in 2023 present a wonderful opportunity for Nigerians to make a choice which will shape their future; affirming that the party - if elected -will usher in a new nation where stability, peace and tranquillity will reign.
Speaking at a Round-Table Meeting with members of the Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN), in Lagos, Aniebonam said the NNPP did not just start today and what he was doing today, he had started a long time ago.
He stressed that the party's Presidential flagbearer, Rabiu Kwankwaso, is a reflection and true representation of the vision he has always had and that the former Kano State helmsman was poised to execute that vision for the overall good of Nigerians.
“The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), which was founded about 21 years ago, is an attempt to reinvent Nigeria and give a direction.
“Within this period, I have participated and played my role. Today, I have been given a platform for the job at hand; and that vision became clearer especially when Kwankwanso moved into the party. He has the capacity to do justice to the concept of the New Nigeria Peoples Party.
"You see, God has a hand in all that is happening in Nigeria today. Look at the little-known NNPP that has been struggling for 21 years now, suddenly becoming a party of choice. See how the emergence of Peter Obi as the Labour Party flagbearer has also shot up the popularity of the party."
On why his party did not settle for a Southeast candidate according to the clamor from that part of the country, he said zoning was the internal arrangement between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC).
For, the NNPP, he made it clear that they had not tasted power as to start talking of zoning but made it clear that “the mode of Nigeria presently is to have a visionary leader, no matter where he comes from, who can unite everybody into one for the overall interest of all”.
Aniebonam stated that this was why the party picked Kwankwaso to be its leader and assured Nigerians that as a highly focused detribalised Nigerian, he would give the country the best if elected in 2023.
He added that “I remain the founder of the party, I remain the spiritual leader, I remain the Chairman Board of Trustees of the party. And right now, I play a kind of supervisory role adding to the fact that age is no more an advantage and also allowing the younger ones to take responsibility.
On the role of social media, he stressed, “Propaganda is part of the system. We don’t have to call the police when the fight has not started and we just concluded our primaries. Every political party is now fashioning out their modus operandi on how to go into a campaign but INEC has to come out and say this is the time.
"But rest assured that as the spiritual leader of NNPP and founder of NNPP, as Chairman Board of Trustees, I have already given a directive in that regard. We must engage society in a very peaceful manner. Moreso, we must be constructive whenever we want to do it.
"I want to say that the state of the nation is an eye opener to every Nigerian. This is not the time to apportion blame to anybody because it is not adding value whether it's APC, or PDP, as the case may be. Leave that to the electorate and that has to be decided with their voter's card.
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“But now that we are talking about new Nigeria, all of us must join hands and that is what I think is going on now. The youths are reacting because they believe their situation has not been as good as it was before."
While responding to the reason he said he said he was the spiritual leader of NNPP, Dr Aniebonam said, “I am the one that received a divine message from above to set up this political party and that this party will provide Nigeria with a great leader.”
“I am not a politician. The concept of politics in Nigeria is to the extent that it has not been trustworthy. Politicians say things, yet they don’t do it; they make promises they don’t fulfill and that is part of the reason the youths of this country are reacting.
“Now this very particular party, the name, the logo were given to me in the dream. The name- New Nigeria Peoples Party...I remember that you cannot go into any position of authority and win an election without belonging to a political party.
"And the logo of the party, during voting- it is the logo of the party you check and our name and our logo are ‘Basket of Truths’. If you take a second look you will know it's divine.
"Now, my introduction now as the Spiritual Leader, does it not show you a divine gift? That divine gift has to do with the love of God. You don’t have the power to condemn. You are not God, you are not judged, why do you dabble into it?
“I'm also given a direction- don’t go into something abusing, mudslinging, blackmailing anybody because you want to win the election. Discuss issues as they affect society. Engage in constructive matters.
“And that is the aspect you see in Kwankwanso."
Aniebonam responded to the issue of a coalition between NNPP and LABOUR and he reiterated that “the management has taken a decision and I also told you if it is not late, it would have been an easy process of getting power wherein Kwankwanso and Peter Obi came together and form a much much stronger alliance. Whoever will step down should be between them and the party. But we started late.”
“If you want to know - New Nigeria Peoples Party did not ask for an alliance. The alliance issue came up when Dr. Doyin Okupe, Victor Umeh, and some others who visited Kwankwanso in Abuja and they came up with the idea of an alliance. Immediately Kwankwanso bought into it and set up a small committee. Nigerians would have loved that to happen, but at that point, Labour Party had grown more than Obi. At that point, New Nigeria Peoples Party had grown over Kwankwanso.
“But whatever happens in life God is in control. That the outcome of that collapse has grown a better opportunity in Nigeria where the multiparty system will actualize; the essence of multiparty is realized.
“I am sure by the end of this election in 2023, if you get to the house a lot of NNPP will be there, LABOUR, PDP, APC will be there. And so the issue of State Police, True Federalism, looking at the constitution of Nigeria will be discussed.
On the issue of transformation that NNPP will bring to the maritime industry. “Aniebonam added that very soon Kwankwanso himself will come to address the maritime operators. That day tells him what you want and that will bring the social contract between maritime operators and NNPP.”
The Anambra State-born businessman, therefore, called on all Nigerians to rally around the NNPP to support it for the rescue mission it has decided to embark on in the interest of the country and its citizens.
