From Chidi Nnadi, Enugu
The Executive Committee of All Progressives Congress (APC), Enugu State chapter, has suspended six members of the party for violating the provisions of the party’s constitution.
In a letter from the state executive committee signed by the state Chairman of the party, Dr Ben Nwoye, the suspension took effect from June 15, 2017.
Mr Valentine Nnadozie (Oji River LGA), Barrister Ejike Ugwu (Igbo-Etiti LGA), Okenwa Onyekachi (Uzo-Uwani LGA), Rev. Jonas Onuorah (Nkanu East LGA), and Mr Elija Ngene ( Enugu South LGA) were suspended for one year while Barrister Valentine Ikpa (Enugu East LGA) was suspended for one month.
The committee said “those affected by this suspension are barred from participating in all activities of APC during the period of their suspension.”
Addressing newsmen in Enugu, yesterday, on the suspension, Dr Nwoye said from January, the party had witnessed high profile politicians and other people in the state defecting to APC from the PDP.
“In every growth, there comes pain and like they said in every 12, there is a Judas,” and added that there are those in the party now who are not happy over what is happening in the state.
Nwoye also said “these people had served a petition against the party in the state to the Secretary of Government of the Federation’s (SGF) office and convinced some of the workers there to commence investigation on how to dissolve the executive of Enugu State APC. Unfortunately, the individuals they took the petition to failed to understand their rights and responsibilities; they are just appointees of the government and serve under the prerogative of Mr President, they are not elected to serve the party.
“To the highest height of insult to the leadership of APC in this country, the SGF office invited the executive of Enugu State to appear before it, with the intention of starting and concluding investigation of phantom allegations put together by those who do not appreciate the progress we have made in Enugu State APC.
Nwoye said that the committee after its investigation found out that the petition was filed by Chief Valentine Nnadozie and four others, and that the committee found them guilty of violating certain provisions of the constitution of the party, bothering on falsehood and bringing the image of the party to disrepute.
He said that according to the party’s constitution a meeting of the state executive committee was convened and the recommendation by the five-man committee that the five members be expelled was reviewed down to one year suspension for each of them.
He said that their suspension would elapse on June 14, 2018, while the suspension of Valentine Ikpa who was found guilty to have also violated the party’s constitution in another case would last for one month as recommended by the committee headed by Chief Bension Eze.
Nwoye disclosed that the local government chairmen and the secretaries of the affected members have been ordered to serve them with their suspension letters, as well as paste the order in their respective wards and councils headquarters.