By Amos Aar
THE STATE Executive Committee (SEC) of the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has nullified all suspensions of local government party officials by “unauthorised people”.
This was contained in a communiqué read to journalists by APC State Chairman, Comrade Austin Agada, at the end of the State Executive Committee meeting of the party at its secretariat in Makurdi, attended by the state Governor, Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia.
Agada said the SEC was alarmed at the spate of suspensions by unauthorised people in the state and different arms of the party at the local government level.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the party has a working constitution, rules and procedures to which suspension process has to be followed. Even when the suspension is carried out using the right procedures, it must be ratified by the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party before it can be announced and effected accordingly.
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“Furthermore, the Party urges all aggrieved members to channel their grievances and complaints to the appropriate party organs in accordance with the party’s constitution.
“The party warns unauthorized members and officials to desist forthwith, from issuing unauthorized suspension letters without recourse to the appropriate authority as failure to do so will attract sanctions.
“We urge all Local Government Party Chairmen and Stakeholders to stop party meetings and activities that will ferment [sic] crises in their areas. Permissions must be sought for properly from the State Working Committee (SWC) before carrying out any party activity and meeting henceforth.
“All suspensions issued thus far are hereby nullified.
“We therefore urge party leaders, stakeholders and members to avoid heating up the polity unnecessarily, and allow the party’s internal crisis management mechanism to sort out all issues,” part of the communiqué reads.
The party also passed a vote of confidence on Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, and his deputy, Sam Ode, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and equally thanked all members for their continuous support, urging them to be law-abiding and keep faith with the administration of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
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National Record gathered reliably that the decision to nullify the suspensions of all local government party officials was as a result of the ongoing internal crisis rocking the broom party in Benue State. The caretaker Chairman of Guma LGA, Mr Simon Unongo, last week reportedly suspended APC Chairman of the local government, Mr Lazarus Asema, and other loval government party officials. He was also said to have indefinitely banned political activities in Guma LGA following alleged factional interests in the APC delegates primary election for Guma 1 state constituency in which Lazarus Asema and other local government party officials had pitched tent with Senator George Akume for Hon. Uche Terwase while the caretaker Chairman was pro-Alia for Mr Maurice Orwough.
