The faction of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State led by Emeka Beke has called on the national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje to step aside.
Speaking during a media briefing in Port Harcourt, the embattled Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Darlington Nwauju, emphasized that Ganduje should either return to his ward to address his suspension or seek legal recourse if he intends to uphold his position.
Nwauju stressed that according to the party’s constitution, only ward executives and members have the authority to suspend or dismiss members, urging the suspended national Chairman to step down and allow his Deputy to oversee the party.
“First of all, suspension of party members or expulsion as the case may be, is the responsibility of the foundation organ of the political party, which is the Ward.
“Article 9 of our party’s constitution, 2022 as amended, clearly talks about membership of our party which resides in the Wards.
“And when your membership is questioned, then it goes to any foundation of whatever you are doing for the political party. It questions any other thing that you do for the political party.
“Talking about disciplinary measures or punishments for party members, that is captured under article 21(3) of our party’s constitution, and we have disciplinary procedures which start from the Ward again.
“And so, if the Ward has taken a decision, it requires that Abdullahi Ganduje, Chairman of our party either goes back to his Ward to placate the people of his Ward to get the decision reviewed and the suspension can be vacated, or he goes to a court of competent jurisdiction to vacate his suspension.
“Now a High Court has affirmed his suspension, it becomes a more serious issue, it means that he needs to step aside as National Chairman of our party for the Deputy National Chairman (North), to act as chairman, pending the determination of the matter or pending his replacement by the National Executive Committee of our great party.
“Do not also forget the fact that the party has been moving on with the moral burden of having to shove the people of the North Central or deny them their right to a replacement for the position of the National Chairmanship of the APC.
“Because, in a situation where the former occupant of that office, His Excellency, Abdullahi Adamu resigned from that position, coming from the North Central zone of the country, the party’s constitution clearly spells out that someone from his state or his zone should also take over that office.
“And so, as an individual, I wish that the party will explore this very opportunity to right the wrong of reverting and allowing someone from the North Central to occupy the seat of National Chairman of our great party,” he declared.
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