Yemisi Izuora
The All Progressives Congress has insisted that its suspension order on Governors Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Rochas Okorocha, of Imo state and two others is not reversible.
The National Working Committee meeting presided over by the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, in Abuja on Friday announced their suspension for alleged anti-party activities.
The two others are the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Usani and the Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu.
The NWC at the meeting also resolved to recommend their expulsion to the National Executive Committee of the party.
The suspended members had variously claimed that the party had yet to write to inform them of their suspension from the party, however, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said writing those suspended was not a precondition for their suspension.
He said, “We don’t have a timeline to write them, the important thing is that they are suspended. It (writing) is not a precondition.”
Asked when the NEC meeting would hold based on the recommendation of the NWC, Issa-Onilu said no date had been fixed for the meeting.
“The time for NEC meeting has not been fixed. The party will have to agree on the time before the notice of meeting is sent out.”
Article 25(B) of the APC constitution states that, “The NEC shall meet every quarter and or at any time decided by the National Chairman or at the request made in writing by at least two-third of the members of the NEC provided that not less than 14 days notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.
(ii) Without prejudice to Article 25(B)(i) of the constitution, the NWC may summon an emergency NEC meeting at any time, provided that at least seven days notice of the meeting shall be given to all those entitled to attend.
While disagreeing over process leading to his suspension by the NWC, Okechukwu had said his “purported” suspension from the party had not been communicated to him.
He said the news of his purported suspension came to him as a surprise as he was neither queried nor invited by the party to defend himself, contrary to the party’s constitution.
“Going by our great party’s constitution, it is at best a purported suspension, as there was no fair hearing, for one had not up to date been neither written nor invited.
“Otherwise one can, without being immodest, say that I contributed immensely to the improved votes we scored in the South East.”