Politics
PRIMARIES: APC angry with Okorocha’s son-in-law, Abe, others, may expel them
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed dismay over court actions instituted against it by some aggrieved aspirants who are not satisfied with the outcome of the recent primaries.
The party has therefore giving the aggrieved aspirants the option of withdrawing their court cases against it, else it will activate constitutional provisions of the party to expel them.
Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha’s son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, had dragged the party to court in efforts to retrieve what he termed his “stolen” governorship candidacy.
In Rivers, Senator Magnus Abe and his faction of the party are also contesting the outcome of the governorship election in the state which did not favour the senator.
Also in Zamfara and in some other states, high-profile members of the party had dragged the part to court over the outcome of the party primaries.
But the APC, it was learnt, at its National Working Committee (NWC) meeting on Monday, decided it was going to show those who resorted to litigation against the party the exit door should they not have a change of heart and withdrew their court cases.
A statement by APC national publicity secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, which confirms the development, said the NWC “frowned at the actions of some party members who have resorted to litigation as a way of addressing their perceived grievances and disputation without exhausting the party’s dispute resolution mechanism”.
Article 21(D)(v) states; “Any member who files an action in court of law against the party or any of its officers on any matter or matters relating to the discharge of the duties of the party without first exhausting the avenues for redress provided for in this constitution shall automatically stand expelled from the party on filing such action and no appeal against expulsion as stipulated in this clause shall be entertained until the withdrawal of the action from the court by the member”.
Describing court cases instituted against the party as “manifest indiscipline”, Issa-Onilu said, “The actions, it should be noted, is considered as anti-party as it goes against our Party’s constitution.
“For emphasis, according to Article 20, Subsection 10 of our Party’s Constitution, offences against the party include the following: ‘Filing an action in a court of law against the party or any of its officers on any matters relating to the discharge of the duties of the Party without first exhausting all avenues for redress provided for in this constitution.’
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“The Party intends to activate constitutional provisions to penalise such members as their action is capable of undermining the party and hurt the party’s interest. We hereby strongly advise such members to withdraw all court cases, while approaching the appropriate party organs with a view to resolving any outstanding disputes.
“In addition to this, aggrieved members are urged to take full advantage of the reconciliation committees the party has just put in place.
“APC members should understand that as a progressive party that operates on the principle of change, it is not a matter of choice to keep to the rules.”
The reconciliation committees set up by the APC NWC is to interface with all aggrieved elements in the party and it was commissioned on geopolitical basis with seven members each, including governors elected on the platform of the party.
However, three aggrieved governors, Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara were excluded from the committees.
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