From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Legal Adviser of Enugu State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), Jerry Ene, has faulted the purported suspension and sack of some faithful of the party by the state chairman, saying it did not follow the party’s constitution.
Addressing a press conference in Enugu, yesterday, Ene said the party chairman, Ugo Agballah, disregarded the fact that every member of the party belongs to a ward and if they are to be suspended, it must come from their wards.
Some of the members sacked or suspended included former Senate president, Ken Nnamani; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; ex-Enugu State governor, Sullivan Chime; Director General,Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu; former Speaker, Eugene Odoh; Minister’s Special Assistant, Flavour Eze, former Commissioner in the state, Joe Mmamel and Mr. Arum Maduka.
Ene said: As the legal adviser of the party, I am not aware of the said suspension. If these people are to be sacked or suspended, it must come from their wards. That is the procedure under the constitution of the party. The action of the chairman is ultra vires under the constitution of the party.
“The other issue is, were these people heard? They were not given the opportunity to defend themselves in any form. If you place something on nothing, it will not stand. As the legal adviser, I am not aware. The suspension is of no effect. As far as I am concerned, I have not noticed any anti-party activities on the part of the stakeholders. All of them supported the president-elect. When he came to Enugu, we all welcomed him at the airport and we campaigned vigorously for him.”
State Publicity Secretary, Charles Ako said the expulsion was never discussed at the State Working Committee (SWC) as members were merely invited to witness the exercise, adding that the affected members were the backbone of the party in the state.
“It is necessary to point out these facts. These founding members of the party have spent their resources to ensure that this party gains acceptability of the people. Let it suffice that the suspension of these members were not discussed at any level in the party.”
Meanwhile, chairmen and secretaries of the party in the wards of the affected stakeholders have passed a vote of confidence on them.
In separate statements released, yesterday, the chairmen and secretaries in Amechi Uwani Ward 2 Enugu South LGA, Eke ward UDI LGA, Agbudu ward Udi LGA, Owa Ward 2 Ezeagu LGA, Awkunanaw Ward 8 Enugu South LGA Nkporogwu/Umurusi Ukehe Ward 4 Igbo Etiti LGA exonerated themselves from the purported suspension of the party members.
They expressed surprise to hear of the expulsion stating that: “We totally condemn such an act taken by the state without recourse to his ward.
“We therefore exonerate ourselves from such unconstitutional action taken against our leaders whom all of us look up to. All the party organs are by this notice advised to disregard such purported suspension.”