A pan-Yoruba youth group under the aegis of the National Committee of Yoruba Youths has warned the ruling All Progressives Congress against suspending the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Timi Frank.
The APC had set up a five-man disciplinary committee to investigate a petition written by one Aniekan Okon from Akwa Ibom State against Timi Frank over alleged uncomplimentary press statements.
President of the group, Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi, said in a press statement in Abuja that the group and indeed Nigerian Youths would view the imposition of any suspension order on Frank by the APC leadership as an affront on Nigerian youths.
The group’s president asked the Chief John Odigie Oyegun-led leadership of the party to address allegations raised against the national chairman by Frank rather than embarking on “acts of assault, vindictiveness and intimidation”, adding, “It is of no use to stir a sea when one does not have the capacity to calm the resorting storm”.
According to him, the group had watched with keen interest the undue political victimisation, persecution and harassment of Frank by a cabal and urged the party leadership to immediately put an end to the continuous blackmail and intimidation of the APC spokesman.
Odeyemi alleged that the latest campaign of calumny against Frank was the alleged move to suspend him from the party through the setting up of a “kangaroo disciplinary committee” to try him on trumped up allegations bearing on anti-party activities.
“It is quite worrisome that this Cabal in APC, in its attempt to batter the continually rising profile of Comrade Frank, both in Nigeria and in the international arena, have continued to feed the public with concocted information that are clearly contrary to the true picture of what really is the fact at the National Secretariat of APC and the myriad of problems confronting the party.
“We wish to inform Nigerians, APC party faithful across the nation and particularly all peace and fact- seeking ones that there is no established legal or political precedent for the charade that this cabal is currently planning to embark upon by stampeding an elected Party official from his duty post through illegality and incitement.
“Nigerian Youths are battle-ready to resist this assault against our collective interest. We are united with Comrade Timi Frank in this battle against democratic cabals, political godfathers, who have decided to keep genuine democrats under their armpits.
“As Nigerian youths, we can, without any equivocation, bear testimony to the fact that Comrade Timi Frank has always supported any cause that will uplift the name and image of Nigeria as well as whatever will accelerate the pace of socio-economic transformation of the country.
“If anything, these among others are the qualities that mark him out as a man of high repute, a youth leader of unquestionable integrity, who is worthy of emulation and a role model for Nigerian Youths.
“We regard any attack on Comrade Frank as an attack on all Nigerian youths whether in APC or not. Here is a young man, who has made a difference and has opened a vista of opportunities for others, who desire to make a change in the polity.
“It is on record today that Comrade Timi Frank is the only loud voice of the Nigerian youths in the APC leadership and government. He is the hope of a new Nigeria. It is to his credit that majority of our youths across the six geo-political zones worked and supported the ruling APC and President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2015 elections.”
