Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Our expulsion, suspension illegal say's APC leaders

The nine stalwarts of the All Progressive Congress in Bayelsa State expelled and suspended by the All Progressives Congress, Bayelsa State chapter, have described the decision of the party as laughable.
The sanctioned members led by a former Security Adviser to the State Government, Chief Richard Kpodo, said their purported suspension and expulsion was illegal, unconstitutional and breach of process.
They said the sanction without proper trial was a deliberate act by some questionable characters to cause an implosion within the party in the state.
The APC had on Monday expelled two and suspended seven of its leaders for anti-party activities. The two expelled members are former Chairman of defunct New Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Perekeme Kpodo and a top member of the party, Mr. Sunday Oputu.
Those suspended were Mr. Godwin Sidi;  Fred Akamu; Rosemary Okeazi; Chief Livinus Opratapu; Harrow Zuokumo; Enoch Koripamo; and Christopher Abariowei.
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The APC Secretary, Mr. Marlin Daniel, had said the duo of Kpodo and Oputu had since left the APC to join the opposition.
But Chief Perekeme Kpodo,who is one of the founding fathers of the party in the state, while reacting to the development, said the sanction is being challenged.
He said he and other affected members had filed a petition before the national leadership of the party.
He said the decision by a few officials of the party led by a member of the Board of Trustees of the party is illegal, unconstitutional and a deliberate action meant to cause an implosion within the party.
Kpodo said if the APC did not put its house in order, they should forget winning the 2016 governorship election in the state.
He said, “It is funny that party men cannot come together and discuss the way forward for the party. How can some persons accused of criminal charges be selected to lead the party.
“This is the action you will get. They did not follow the constitution and set up avenue for fair hearing. It is criminal.”
Kpodo, who has been having a running battle with the former Governor and leader of the party in the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, accused Sylva of promoting crises within the party with the alleged hand picking of members of the State Working Committee of the Party.
He said, “APC is a decent party and this is why we are blaming Timipre Sylva. In fact, there are bitter complaints that have been sent to the national leadership of the party.
“We want the national leadership to look at the complaint and decide. And I believe that with what we have on the ground, if they decide to put this same executive committee, they should forget about the governorship election in the state.”
Also speaking on his suspension, an elder of the party, Christopher Abarowei declared the action illegal and lacking in fair hearing.
He said, “Some of the APC members allegedly  connived among themselves to suspend some party members without following the party rules and constitution as well as the law of fair hearing.”
Abarowei said Marlin Daniel, who announced the suspension was not qualified to do so as he had since resigned his position to contest the last House of Assembly election.
“We the concerned members of the party still remain resolute in the quest to bring change to the party for utmost result ahead of the forth coming governorship elections in the state,” he said.

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