The New Nigeria Peoples Party said on Saturday in Lagos that it will move ahead with its congresses and national convention despite delays by the Independent National Electoral Commission in recognising the Dr Agbo Major-led leadership, insisting preparations for the 2027 elections will continue without interruption.
The position was made known by the party’s founder, Boniface Aniebonam, who said the party had already submitted its programme for congresses, primaries and convention to INEC and was determined to contest elective positions across the country, including the 2027 presidential election.
According to him, the delay in recognising the party’s National Working Committee, despite court rulings backing the leadership led by Major, has affected the party’s participation in several elections over the years. He said the situation has limited opportunities for party members and has slowed political activities within the NNPP.
Despite this, he said the party would no longer wait endlessly and had chosen to proceed with internal processes while expecting INEC to comply with the court decisions. He said preparations for the next general election could not be delayed further because members needed enough time to indicate interest in offices they intend to contest.
Aniebonam also said the party would continue efforts to secure formal recognition of the current leadership by the electoral commission, maintaining that court decisions remain binding and should be respected.
He questioned why INEC had not acted on the judgments, saying there was no legal order stopping compliance. According to him, the party had engaged the commission to understand the reason for the delay while continuing its political activities.
He also pointed to past legal cases in Nigeria to support the view that court rulings should take precedence in such matters. He said previous political cases had shown the consequences of ignoring judicial decisions and warned against repeating such situations.
The party’s decision comes amid ongoing leadership disputes and growing preparations among political parties for the 2027 elections. By moving ahead with congresses and a national convention, the NNPP appears determined to keep its structure active and position itself early for the next electoral cycle.
The development may also set the stage for renewed attention on the party’s leadership dispute and INEC’s response as the countdown to the 2027 polls continues.