Sola Ojo, Kaduna
There seems to be no end in sight to crisis rocking All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State due to versions of positions as regard authenticity of Senator representing Kaduna North District, Shehu Sani, as member of the party.
A group in a statement signed by one Ward Six Chairman, Ibrahim Salisu Togo, Tudun Wada North Chapter of APC had on Thursday insisted that, their decision to suspend the lawmaker was based on the constitution of the party.
“We, the Tudun Wada North, Ward Six Exco of the all Progressives Congress, APC in Kaduna South Local Government wish to affirm our decision on the indefinite suspension of Senator Shehu Sani”, the statement read in part.
But, Chairman of APC in the State, Emmanuel Jakada argued that, reaffirming suspension of the senator is unconstitutional saying, a serving senator cannot be suspended on the pages of newspapers.
The APC Chair who spoke to leadership of Nigerian Union of Journalists in Kaduna via telephone call said, “I am not around. I am attending a programme in Jos.
“Look, suspension does not come from the pages of newspapers. However, at the local government, there must be a committee to find out the allegations. There are a lot of constitutional processes to be followed before you can pronounce somebody suspended.
“As the Chairman, I have set up committee to reconcile the aggrieved members so I expected that if there was any issue with any of the aggrieved member it is supposed to be directed to the reconciliation committee.
“Am so surprised that I am hearing this from you people, I have not seen anything like that on my table. I don’t believe that the right thing according to the constitution has been done”, he said.
However, in his reaction, Special Adviser (Media & Special Duties) to Sen Shehu Sani, Abdulsamad Amadi said, the suspension of the lawmaker by APC Tudun Wada North Ward 6 holds no water.
He said, “ordinarily statements like these by faceless and unknown persons wouldn’t have attracted any response from the office of the distinguished Senator. However, we find it imperative to say something so as to expose these crooks for whom they really are.
“First and foremost it is important to note that no congress was held, nether was any consensus reached to put in place any form of leadership structure in the said council. Consequently, anybody parading himself as an exco in the ward is doing so illegally. We were reliably informed that the people spreading this falsehood were handpicked by an aide to the state governor whose ill motivated and desperate ambition of becoming a senator seem to be driving insane.
“It is rather unfortunate that these people are allowing themselves to be used by this desperate governor’s aide, to frustrate the efforts of the new APC National Leadership and President Buhari to bring sanity to the party. We are not totally surprised by this despicable act as it was an open secret that the kaduna state government was never in support of Comrade Oshiomale’s ascension to the leadership of our great Party.
“The decision by Sen Shehu Sani to remain in the APC amidst the mass defections is a decision that has been highly appreciated by the President and the National Leadership of the APC.
“Also President Buhari and the entire Leadership of the APC have on numerous occasions openly affirmed their confidence and trust in Senator Shehu Sani as a high-profile stakeholder and bonafide member of the APC whom they hold in very high esteem.
“Therefore it is not only self contradictory, but also an act of disrespect to President Buhari and the National Chairman, for people who are claiming allegiance to them to be acting otherwise”, the SA said.