The ongoing crisis within the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) took a twist yesterday, October 18, 2023, as Major Agbo, the factional chairman of the party, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt allegedly orchestrated by political opportunists.
Addressing a press conference at the NNPP secretariat in Abuja, a visibly shaken Agbo revealed the harrowing incident that unfolded in his office on Monday, August 16, 2023.
According to Agbo, two armed assailants stormed his office at Wuse Zone 4, demanding to meet him. The assailants, evidently unaware of Agbo's identity, pointed a gun at him, seeking "Major Agbo," one of them claiming to be his coursemate from Command and Staff College, Jaji.
In a courageous response, Agbo quizzed the assailant if he could identify his supposed coursemate, to which the attacker hesitated. Seizing the opportunity, Agbo skillfully diverted their attention, preventing them from recognising him. The assailants hastily retreated, fleeing the scene in an ash-colored Toyota Corolla parked nearby.
During the press conference, Agbo disclosed that this attempt on his life was a result of his resistance against what he described as attempts by "ill-advised elements and political opportunists" to hijack the NNPP.
He further revealed that he had been receiving death threats through WhatsApp voice calls, intensifying concerns about his safety.
Agbo expressed his gratitude for narrowly escaping the attempt on his life and called upon the relevant authorities to swiftly investigate the matter and bring the culprits to justice.
"It is my sincere hope that you would lend your voices to this brazen attempt to take my life over what does not belong to them," Agbo urged the public and media representatives present at the press conference.
The NNPP has been embroiled in a bitter internal conflict, with two distinct factions emerging within the party.
The Agbo-led faction, consisting of the party's original members, has been at odds with the camp loyal to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who joined the party shortly before the 2023 general elections.
Agbo's faction had accused Kwankwaso of attempting to hijack the party, leading to his expulsion and the nullification of the agreement allowing Kwankwaso's group, known as Kwankwasiya, to join the NNPP.