Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti
All Progressives Congress (APC), Ekiti State chapter, has reaffirmed that former governor Segun Oni remains suspended in spite of protest against the move by his loyalists.
The party insisted that Oni was duly and legally suspended by the party at his Ifaki Ward II in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of the state for alleged anti-party activities.
Oni was on May 1, suspended by his ward party executive for alleged offences that violate the provisions of the party’s constitution.
Although Oni’s offence was not mentioned, it was widely believed he was being punished for taking Governor Kayode Fayemi to court over his emergence as the candidate of the APC in the May 12 , 2018 primary of the party.
Oni contended that Fayemi was not qualified to have stood for the primary, having failed to resign as a minister 30 days to the primary as stipulated by party’s constitution.
Following his suspension, a group of elders in Ifaki Ward II, condemned the step and said it violated the party’s laid down rules.
In a statement, party ward executive and leaders, yesterday, described those condemning the suspension as rebels, who had earlier been denied opportunity to hijack the party.
The statement affirming Oni’s suspension was signed by the ward Chairman, Shina Akinloye and other leaders, including Femi Olanrewaju, Sule Rasaq, Suleiman Olatunji and Tunde Olanrewaju.
They insisted that the elders’ council under which Oni’s loyalists allegedly hid to thwart the process leading to the former governor’s suspension was alien to the party’s constitution.
“This is the handiwork of miscreants, who are trying to cause confusion and misunderstanding in our party by misinforming the public on this matter. The public must disregard this elders’ council, because they are alien to our party. Due process was followed, because former governor Oni was duly invited and he failed to appear within the time the party mandated him to do so for fair hearing,” the party said.
