Chuks Onuoha, Umuahia
The Presidential Committee has suspended three of its members over the ultimatum handed to the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Adams Oshiomole to lift the suspension order handed to Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.
The people involved had given the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party a 48-hour ultimatum to lift the suspension.
It would be recalled that the APC NWC had suspended Governor Okorocha over alleged anti-party activities.
The suspension letter signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters, G N Samani and made available newsmen in Umuahia, showed that the committee had to suspend Robert Ngwu, Bar Ejikeme Ugwu and Comrade Maxwell Okoye as the Director, Inter-Party, South East, National Director, Legal Matters and Director, Political Matters, South East respectively over what it described as breach of the directives and regulations guiding the PSC.
The letters noted that despite the directives that the committee officials should adhere to the constitution, rules, and regulations of the PSC in terms of programmes of activities of the committee including granting press interviews, the affected person still went ahead to disregard them.
The letter read that despite the foregoing, “the National Executive Committee of PSC had been inundated with complaints from various sources including members of South East zonal exco, regarding unauthorised activities of very few individuals including yourself from South -East zone particularly the publication of Tuesday 5th of March titled ‘Presidential Committee gives Oshimole 48 hours ultimatum to lift Okorocha’s suspension.’
“This is totally unacceptable and disrespectful to the organs of our party which is against the laid-down rules and regulations guiding the affairs of PSC and constitution of our party.
“In conclusion, you are hereby suspended as Director, Political Matters, South-East with immediate effect. This was informed after due consultation with stakeholders and presidential aides who are also facilitators of the committee.
“You are by this communication, advised to retract this unauthorised publication within 72 hours failure of which will lead to expulsion.
“While thanking you for your service, you are advised to hand over all relevant documents and materials in your possession relating to PSC to the office with immediate effect.”
Recall that the Zonal Coordinator and Chairman of the PSC, Chamberlin Adiaso, had disassociated the South East zone of the committee from the said ultimatum, stressing that the Imo State governor and his Ogun State counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun remained suspended.
Speaking in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, Adiaso who described the press briefing held in Owerri by those he described as ‘some people in the committee,’ maintained that as the leader of the PSC in the South East, any meeting held behind him was null and void.
The PSC Zonal Coordinator maintained that the APC is a disciplined party and has the NWC as the highest decision-making body of the party, adding that anyone who questions the authority of the NWC is also questioning the powers of President Muhammadu Buhari as the leader of APC.