By JOHN NWOKOCHA, Abuja

A fresh storm may have hit the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) as one of its chieftains is being accused of undermining efforts of the presidential candidate of the party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s bid to move forward to the next level.

The chieftain of NNPP, whom members of the party suspected to be a mole, is allegedly working in the interest of his former party, a competent party source told News Express, Friday morning, in Abuja. The source said that the actions of the chieftain in question, who is from the North East of the country has been frustrating all progressive decisions by the party using his influential national position, adding that the NWC of the NNPP and Kwankwaso were unsettled by the development.

“Kwankwaso himself is worried about the lack of commitment attitude of the man,” said the source.

“Everybody knows what is happening within the party. The man who is expected to lead us is not displaying the seriousness his position entails at a crucial time like this. A lot of us are using our personal money to ensure that things move on well in the party. The sad part of it is that man is sitting on the fund that should be used to run the affairs of the party. We are not sure when we will get a refund of the monies some of us have committed into the party,” the source said. It was reliably gathered that the said chieftain has allegedly misappropriated the party’s fund.

News Express also gathered that the party may not escape an iimplosion in the coming weeks following the development as some of its members were planning mass defection.

But the source said Kwankwaso has urged the members to look ahead and stay focused on the campaign.

Asked why the NNPP’s presidential campaign council has not been inaugurated, he said the delays were part of the designs of the suspected mole to undermine the party. “Although this is affecting the party, I believe the Campaign Council will be announced by next week. Mind you, we have a long period of campaign according to INEC’s time table. So, we are not starting late,” he said.

News Express recalls that the NNPP was hit by a similar crisis just a few weeks ago when Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, an influential figure in the party and an ally of Kwankwaso, quitted alongside his teeming supporters and associates over what he described as ‘tricked, betrayed and humiliated’ treatment to him and his followers by Kwankwaso.

The aggrieved former two-time governor of Kano state, Shekarau, as reported by News Express accused the party leadership of trust deficit in position sharing. It was gathered that the party has yet to come clean on the allegation, confirming fears of members if they will not be ‘outsmarted,’ a development that is affecting their continued loyalty to the party.

All efforts to speak with either the National Publicity Secretary of the party or the National chairman were futile.

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