… As Bauchi chapter expels Dada, national ex-officio member
From Paul Osuyi, Asaba and Paul Orude Bauchi
The executive committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in ward 04 (Onicha-Olona) in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State has suspended the Chairman of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Lauretta Onochie, over alleged anti-party activities during the just concluded general elections.
Onochei, a known Buharist, ratified her membership of the party last year before her nomination for the NDDC top job.
But the 27-member executive committee of Onicha-Olona ward 04 accused her of not fulfilling her financial obligations as well as not attending party engagements at the ward and local government levels.
This is besides the allegation that the NDDC chief worked against the party’s interest in the 2023 general elections.
The ward executive committee led by Mr. Peter Ogboli as chairman also passed a vote of no confidence on her as one of the leaders of the party in the area.
The party said the decision to suspend Onochei followed a painstaking review of the conduct of the just concluded general election at all levels.
The party noted with dismay that Onochei worked against the success of the party in Onicha-Olona ward 4 and beyond.
“Information available to us show very clearly that she was openly campaigning for candidates of opposition parties, especially the Peoples’ Democratic Party, in the run-up to the Presidential and National Assembly as well as the governorship and state assembly elections.
“It was also observed that all her allies and supporters were working for the PDP in the state. The evidence of this could be seen in the fact that the party lost in her polling unit (Unit 8, Ward 4) in the Presidential, Senatorial, House of Representatives, Governorship and state assembly elections.
“We also noted that she has failed to fulfill her financial obligations to the party and has never attended any ward and LGA meetings or other party engagements.
“In the light of the grievous infractions discovered in her as stated in Article 21.2 (I), (Ii), we have lost confidence in her membership of the party and hereby suspend her from the party with immediate effect,” a letter addressed to the state chairman of APC, Omeni Sobotie read.
Although Onochei could not be reached as at the time of filing this report, a source close to her described the suspension as a kangaroo arrangement being allegedly orchestrated by the Deputy Senate President and 2023 governorship candidate of APC, Ovie Omo-Agege, in his bid to take over the leadership of the party in Delta North.
Meanwhile, the National Ex-Officio of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), representing Bauchi, Alhaji Sirajo Dada, has been expelled from membership of the party in Gamawa LGA of the State for alleged anti-party activities.
The decision was said to have been taken at the end of an emergency meeting of the Executive Council of the APC in Gamawa Local Government Area.
While announcing the decision of the EXCO at the APC Secretariat in Gamawa yesterday, Chairman of the APC in Gamawa LGA, Ahmed Saleh Super, said it was a difficult decision. He explained that the APC executive council in Gamawa had no option than to be hard in order to instill discipline in the party.
“Sirajo Dada really worked against the success of the APC in the local government during the elections. He was caught going round campaigning against the candidates of the APC,” he said.
“Sirajo Dada went against the stance of the APC; he campaigned for the candidate of the PRP for the House of Representatives seat. He was accosted by leadership of the APC but he glaringly refused to listen.
“Having refused to be remorseful about what he did, the executive met and came to this decision. Alhaji Sirajo Dada is hereby expelled from being a member of the APC in Gamawa LGA.
“We have served him with the letter to that effect and copied the State Executive through the State Chairman.
“Though the APC won the House of Representatives seat for Gamawa Federal Constituency as well as the presidential election, it could not add up votes to make the party win the Bauchi North Senatorial seat due to the anti-party activities of Sirajo Dada.”