JUST IN: APC Crisis Deepens As Party Moves To Arrest Chairman
The Taraba Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the security agencies in the state to arrest its former state chairman, Ibrahim El’Sudi, for alleged impersonation.
James Ahmadu, acting state chairman of the party, made the call on Friday while addressing journalists in Jalingo.
Mr Ahmadu said the purported suspension and expulsion of some members of the party was illegal, stating that Mr El’Sudi ceased to be the state chairman of APC on 10 February.
He called on the national leadership of the party to call Mr El’Sudi to order to avoid creating unnecessary confusion in the party in the state.
“We are responding to the purported expulsion of David Kente and our Senator-elect for Taraba South Senatorial district, David Jimkuta by the former state chairman, Ibrahim El-Sudi.
“I and members of my state executive as well as members of APC in Taraba state received the pronouncement with rude shock and utmost disappointment,” he said.
He said the removal of Mr El`Sudi was duly communicated to and acknowledged by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC)
“He thus stands removed as the chairman of the party and has no legal standing to act in that capacity,” he said.
He said that as the then deputy chairman and the highest-ranking official of the state executive, he was unanimously and legally endorsed as the state acting chairman of the party
“Therefore, by the provision of the APC constitution, El`Sudi ceased to function as chairman since Feb. 10 and has no legal right to suspend or expel any member from the party.
“We find his actions in this sad development as an act of desperation from a drowning man who is acting the script of his paymasters,” he said.
‘We also call on the national leadership of our great party to expediently call him to order before he creates confusion in the party.”
He said that Messrs Kente and Jimkuta remain members of the APC in Taraba.
Uten Efu, chairman of APC in Kente Ward in Wukari Local Government Area, denied signing any petition for the suspension and the expulsion of Mr Kente.
Also, Siman Yunusa, chairman of the APC in Bete Ward, Mr Jimkuta`s ward, said that the ward executive did not sign any petition for the suspension of the senator-elect.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the El’Sudi-led faction of the party had announced the expulsion of Messrs Kente and Jimkuta from the party.
(NAN)
