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APC suspends Tinubu’s in-law, Osinbajo’s aide, 9 others

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed an indefinite suspension on Senator Babafemi Ojudu, and 10 other prominent members of the party in Ekiti State. Ojudu, who is the Special Adviser on Political Matters to the President, Office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and other affected members, were sanctioned over alleged insubordination to party order, following their failure to withdraw the case they instituted against the party as directed by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ruling party. The NEC had, at its meeting of June 25, 2020, which was attended by President Muhammadu Buhari, APC governors and stalwarts, directed that all cases pending in courts should be withdrawn for speedy resolution of internal crises in the party. But a statement signed by the Ekiti APC Publicity Secretary, Ade Ajayi, which was made available to reporters in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, said the latest disciplinary action was taken against Ojudu and others for defying the party’s NEC. Others who were suspended alongside Ojudu include son-in-law to APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo; Engr. Ayo Ajibade, Hon. Femi Adeleye, Bunmi Ogunleye, Akin Akomolafe, Bamigboye Adegoroye, Wole Oluyede, Olusoga Owoeye, Dele Afolabi, and Toyin Oluwasola.

The statement read: “The State Executive Council of the Ekiti State chapter of APC has approved indefinite suspension of the following members with immediate effect from 23rd September, 2020. “The suspension is based on the recommendation of the investigative/ disciplinary committee inaugurated by SEC to investigate the disobedience of certain members to the directive of NEC of 25th June, 2020, which directed members of the party not to institute any court action and to withdraw existing cases in courts.

“The decision of SEC has been communicated to the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party.” Ojudu and his allies, who were opposed to Governor Kayode Fayemi, had instituted a case against the constitution of the State Working Committee chaired by Paul Omotoso.

They had alleged that the names of those occupying party positions from the ward to state levels were not duly constituted through a legal and recognisable congress in the state. In a swift reaction, Ojudu faulted the indefinite suspension slammed on him and other chieftains, describing it as illegal. The Presidential aide said: “Let it be said that the only organ of the party that can try and suspend a member is the Ward. What they have done is clearly illegal.

“I remain a member of APC and a committed one at that. I am not like them traitors who claim to be APC and go work for PDP in Oyo and Edo.” Also reacting, one of the suspended chieftains, Bamgboye Adegoroye, kicked against the sanction meted out to him and others. “Our group, Ekiti APC Stakeholders, issued the statement below three days ago. Yesterday we went to court. Today, we have been suspended by our governor we helped bring into power, Dr. Kayode Fayemi,” Adegoroye lamented. In the statement he referred to, entitled, “Before our impending expulsion from APC,” Adegoroye had said the party would crumble in Ekiti, if they are expelled as being allegedly hatched by Fayemi.

He had said: “We are, therefore, calling our national leadership to stop Dr. Kayode Fayemi from killing our party in Ekiti. Things are bad enough now for the party in the state. Allowing him to carry out our expulsion will only spell doom for our beloved APC.” Adegoroye further alleged that Fayemi decided to clip their wings because they exhibited bravery and stood up against poor governance and government of exclusion being experienced in Ekiti. He added: “We demanded of him the dissolution of the State Working Committee and product of illegality and institution of a legitimate executive in compliance with our party’s constitution. We intimated our party leaders of these concerns; the same problems which were present in his first term that led to our losing the state to PDP with ignominy in year 2014.

“Earlier, he had done same thing to Chief Segun Oni. Oni served our party as Deputy National Chairman without blemish. Thinking that Oni may offer himself to be governor come 2022, he instigated his suspension and stampeded him out of the party. “We, however, insist we shall, under no circumstance, leave the party to join another. We were members of the party from foundation and also members of ACN, a legacy party that joined with others to form APC. We were in the other progressive parties, AD, AC that existed before and transformed to the present party.”

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