The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to determine the fate of 45 lawmakers accused of defecting from the party without properly completing the required resignation process.
The party has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the affected lawmakers, challenging their continued occupation of legislative seats they won on the NNPP platform in the 2023 general elections.
The suit involves members of the Kano State House of Assembly, the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In an affidavit filed in support of its originating summons, the NNPP alleged that the lawmakers abandoned the party for other political parties without following the procedures required to end their membership.
The party is seeking the court’s interpretation and enforcement of constitutional provisions guiding the defection of elected lawmakers from the political parties on whose platforms they were elected.
The NNPP also raised concerns that some of the affected lawmakers had already been listed by INEC as candidates of other political parties for the 2027 general elections.
It questioned the legality of their nominations and their continued stay in the legislative houses after allegedly leaving the party that sponsored their elections.
In a letter dated October 19, 2026, addressed to INEC, the party said it had earlier informed the commission about the alleged defections and requested an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the lawmakers’ resignations and movement to other political parties.
The NNPP expressed concern that some of the lawmakers allegedly remained on its membership register while also being registered as members of other political parties.
According to the party, the situation violates existing laws regulating membership of political parties.
It further argued that the lawmakers failed to obtain the required clearance from its Board of Trustees and comply with the party’s electoral guidelines before leaving.
The party cited Articles 8.2(a), 8.2(b), and 8.3(a) of its constitution as provisions allegedly violated by the affected lawmakers.
Meanwhile, the founder of the NNPP and Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, has warned against attempts to backdate the resignation letters of members who allegedly failed to complete the process before the party notified INEC of their non-compliance.
Aniebonam maintained that the party would not accept any attempt to use retrospective resignation dates to regularise the alleged defections.
He warned that falsifying resignation records would amount to criminal conduct.
The NNPP is asking the court to intervene in the dispute and determine the legal implications of the alleged defections, particularly as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
