APC suspends Amosun, Okorocha, Minister VON DG

The All Progressives Congress has suspended Governors Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.

Also suspended are the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru, and the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu.

The National Working Committee of the party at its meeting in Abuja on Friday said it suspended them for alleged anti-party activities.

The party had vowed to discipline Amosun after the elections for allegedly instigating thugs to unleash attacks on party chieftains at the presidential campaign rally held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

But, at the meeting presided over by the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, on Friday, the NWC recommended to the National Executive Committee of the party that the suspended individuals be expelled.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, after the meeting said the NWC also agreed to issue a query to the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, over what it termed glaring anti-party activities.

The party said the anti-party activities of the governor “greatly affected the fortunes of its candidates in the recently conducted presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

The APC regretted that the suspended members worked against the interest of the party despite steps taken to ensure they desisted from such.

The statement partly read, “Notably, these individuals have not shown any remorse and have actually stepped up their actions. The party reviewed the serial anti-party activities of the concerned individuals before and during the last presidential and National Assembly elections in their respective states and resolved to enforce party discipline in line with our constitution.

“The NWC noted how the suspended members have continued to campaign openly for other parties and candidates that are unknown to our great party, even as they have constituted themselves as opposition to APC candidates in their respective states.”

Meanwhile, the APC in Ogun State has hailed the decision of the NWC to suspend the governor, saying it would even prefer the expulsion of the governor to serve as a deterrent to others that might want to emulate him.

Meanwhile, attempts to get the reaction of the governor through his media aides proved abortive as both his Senior Special Adviser on media, Rotimi Durojaiye, and his Special Assistant on media, Eshiomohmo Imoudu, neither answered their calls nor responded to the text messages sent to them.

But in his reaction, Okorocha accused the party’s National Chairman of working hard to destroy the ruling party in the South-East zone, saying it was wrong for the Oshiomhole-led NWC to treat him with disdain just two days after he had worked hard to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari was re-elected.

Also, Okechukwu, in his reaction, said it would be unfair for anyone to ascribe the poor performance of the party in the South-East to him.

In a telephone interview , on Friday, he said he had yet to receive any letter suspending him from the party and that he would provide an ample reply should any such letter reach him.