The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Borno State has disowned its senatorial candidate for Borno Central senatorial district in the 2023 elections, Atom Magira, who was arrested and detained by the State’s Police Command,Daily Trust reports.
Magira’s personal assistant, Mohammed Yahaya, who confirmed the detention of his principal, said that he was taken into custody by operatives of the Borno State Police Command on Sunday night over alleged criticism of Borno State governor, Babagana Umara Zulum.
But, reacting to the development, the chairman of NNPP in Borno State, Barr. Mustapha Mohammed, said the embattled politician resigned from the party over a month ago, adding that Magira has since left the party.
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He further said as a lawyer, what the detained former NNPP chieftain did, which was addressing himself as ‘His Excellency’ was an offence of impersonation and breaking of electoral law.
“Atom Magira is no longer a member of our party. He left the party over a month ago. So there is no chieftain of NNPP in police custody in Borno,” the party chairman said.
Magira, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial aspirant in the 2019, is known as a leading opposition figure in the state. He had been vocal in challenging Governor Zulum’s policies.
