By Cajetan Mmuta
Tension heightened in the Anambra state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday as aggrieved members of the party announced the suspension of the state chairman Chief Basil Ejidike.
Chief Ejidike was suspended over alleged insubordination and disrespect to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The axe on Ejidike is coming barely three weeks after the party lost the gubernatorial election in the state which was won by Professor Charles Soludo of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance.
The latest development marks a fresh crisis occasioned by the face-off between the chairman and members of the State Executive Committee.
Speaking during a press conference held in Awka the state capital, Spokesperson of the State Executive committee of the party, Barrister Uchenna Okonkwo Okom said that the party has given the Minister for Labour and Employment Dr Chris Ngige 14 days to discuss the modalities for strengthening and repositioning of the party and for moving the party forward in the state.
He said, “As a result of the refusal, neglect or inability of the Caretaker Chairman of the All Progressive Congress APC in Anaheim state Chief Basil Ejidike to convene a meeting of the State Executive Committee or State Congress of the party to tackle pressing and urgent party matters, despite repeated statutory demands to that effect as stipulated by the All Progressive Congress Anambra state chapter jointly convened by not less than two-thirds of the members of the State Executive Committee and not less than two-thirds of the 21 local government area Chairmen in the APC with the mandate of the 326 ward Chairmen in Anambra state held at Finotel Hotels Awka on Sunday the 21st Day of November 2021, attended by the ward Chairmen Local government Chairmen, members of the party across the state, the following resolutions were duly proposed and unanimously passed.”
He said that Mr. Basil Ejidike be and hereby suspended forthwith from office as Caretaker Chairman of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Anambra state pending his appearance before a Disciplinary/ Fact-Finding Committee of the party.”
The party members pointed out that the “next most senior available official of the party in the state is mandated to convene an emergency meeting of the State Executive Committee in consultation with the leader of the party in Anambra state His Excellency Dr Chris Ngige within the next 14 from the date of hereof to discuss the modalities for strengthening and repositioning of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and for moving the party forward in Anambra state.”
They also said that “Mr Basil Ejidike shall be referred to the Disciplinary/ Fact-Finding Committee of the party in the state as prescribed by the All Progressive Congress (APC) Constitution to answer to charges of abuse of power and office, diversion and conversion of party property, flagrant sabotage, subversion and breach of party’s constitution, insubordination and disrespect to the office of the person of the President Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, embezzlement and misappropriation of party funds, among others.”
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Members of the State Executive Committee further said that a copy of its resolution has been forwarded to the National Caretaker Committee of the party and the Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee for immediate implementation according to the Constitution of the party 2014 as amended.
But Chief Basil Ejidike when contacted dismissed the suspension as illegal.
He said those that spoke to reporters on his rumoured suspension were not members of the State Executive Committee of the party.
Ejidike further said that some of them left the party and joined another party shortly after the Party’s Governorship primary election.
He added that they do not have any locus to suspend him.
