… We’re going nowhere – Ojudu, others
THE Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has suspended the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, and 10 others indefinitely over alleged anti-party activities.
The suspension, according to a statement, signed by the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Ade Ajayi, followed the recommendation of the investigative/disciplinary committee of the State Executive Committee.
The committee was reportedly set up, following the refusal of Ojudu and other members to honour a directive by the National Executive Committee of the party to withdraw pending court cases against the party.
Ojudu and his allies had instituted a case challenging the process through which the exco members at the state, local council and ward levels had emerged, alleging that the names of those occupying the various party positions were not duly constituted through a legal and recognisable congress in the state.
Other members said to have been suspended alongside Ojudu include Ayo Ajibade, Oyetunde Ojo, Femi Adeleye, Bunmi Ogunleye, Akin Akomolafe, Bamigboye Adegoroye, Wole Oluyede, Olusoga Owoeye, Dele Afolabi, and Toyin Oluwasola.
The APC statement said, “The State Executive Council of the Ekiti State chapter of APC has approved indefinite suspension of the following members with immediate effect from 23rd September, 2020.
“The suspension is based on the recommendation of the investigative/disciplinary committee inaugurated by SEC to investigate the disobedience of certain members to the directive of NEC of 25th June, 2020, which directed members of the party not to institute any court action and to withdraw existing cases in courts.
“The decision of SEC has been communicated to the Caretaker/Extra ordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party.”
Meanwhile, Ojudu has said the action of the party is a nullity and of no consequence, noting that the party’s SWC lacks the power to suspend any member.
“Let it be said that the only organ of the party that can try and suspend a member is the Ward. What they have done is clearly illegal. I remain a member of APC and a committed one at that.”
Ojudu and his group had, however, asked the court, on Tuesday, to restrain the party from probing or setting machinery in motion for their suspension or expulsion, pending the determination of the substantive case.
They argued, through their lawyer, A.A. Adeniyi, that the decision of the Ekiti APC to set up a disciplinary committee to begin a suspension or expulsion process was contemptuous of the existing case pending in court.
In a statement titled, ‘Before our impending expulsion from APC’, signed by the group’s spokesperson, Bamgboye Adegoroye, on Wednesday, they said the APC would crumble in Ekiti, if they were expelled from the party.
The group said, “We are therefore calling our national leadership to stop Dr Kayode Fayemi from killing our party in Ekiti. Things are bad enough now for the party in the state. Allowing him to carry out our expulsion will only spell doom for our beloved APC.
“Those to be tried and possibly expelled are former Senators, former members of House of Representatives, former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, a number of aspirants who contested against him and notable leaders of the party in the state.”
They claimed that Fayemi decided to clip their wings because they exhibited bravery and stood up against poor governance and what they termed government of exclusion being experienced in Ekiti.
The statement said, “We demanded of him the dissolution of the State Working Committee and product of illegality and institution of a legitimate executive in compliance with our party’s constitution. We intimated our party leaders of these concerns; the same problem which was present in his first term that led to our losing the state to PDP with ignominy in year 2014.
“Earlier, he had done same thing to Chief Segun Oni. Oni served our party as Deputy National Chairman without blemish. Thinking that Oni may offer himself to be governor come 2022, he instigated his suspension and stampeded him out of the party.
“We however insist we shall under no circumstance leave the party to join another. We were members of the party from foundation and also members of ACN, a legacy party that joined with others to form APC. We were in the other progressive parties, AD, AC that existed before and transformed to the present party.”
