From Okey Sampson, Aba

PENULTIMATE Saturday’s All Progressive Congress (APC) loss in the Aba North State Assembly re-run to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has claimed its first casualty as a chieftain of the party in the State, Prince Paul Ikonne, has been suspended by the Abia South zone of the party over alleged anti- party activi­ties.
The suspension, it was gathered followed a pe­tition by executive members of Osusu 11 Ward 4 (Ikonne’s ward) and Aba North Local Government chapter of the party,who accused him (Ikonne) of working against the interest of the APC at the March 5 rerun.
Ikonne was specifically alleged to have worked for the candidate of the PDP, Mrs Blessing Nwagba, including sponsorship of several publications that the APC had no candidate in the election.
In a meeting presided over by the Abia South zonal chairman of the party, Chief Gospel Nwankpa and at­tended by all the six chairmen of the APC in the zone, as well as members of the zonal working committee, the party considered the petition and upheld the sus­pension.
Nwankpa, who called on members to close ranks and work in the interest of the party, added that Ikonne’s suspension was in line with the APC consti­tution, having followed due process from his Osusu 11 Ward 4 and local government area.