“they are renegades, non members – chairman insists
By Ifeama Ejiofor
Nov 25,2021
A new bout of crisis is brewing in the Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as a section of the party’s stakeholders has announced the immediate suspension of the Acting state chairman of the party, Chief Basil Ejidike.
Reading out the resolution of the stakeholders who met in Awka Thursday, Nov 25,2021, the spokesman of the group Chief Uchenna Okonkwo Okom accused the embattled chairman of “insubordination and disrespect to the office of President Muhammadu Buhari as reasons for the suspension.”
Okom while fielding questions from journalists said the decision to suspend Ejidike was part of the resolution of state congress of all leaders and stakeholders to reposition the party.
He disclosed that the details for their actions were contained in a concise petition submitted to the national leadership of the party for justice to be done.
Part of the resolution titled, “Vote of No Confidence/Suspension from Office of Mr. Basil Ejidike, the Caretaker Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Anambra state chapter”, they accused Ejidike of refusal to convene State Executive Committee or Congress meeting despite repeated statutory demands to that effect as stipulated by the party.
Ejidike in a quick reaction described them as “renegades who left the party after the primaries that nominated Senator Andy Uba”. He waved off the suspension as laughable, saying those behind it were not members of the State Executive Committee of the party hence lack the powers to suspend him.
He also noted that most of them left the party shortly after the primary election, adding that they do not have any locus to have suspended him.
Hear him, “They are not members our party. They are renegades who left the party after the primaries.
“They can’t suspend me As I’m talking to you, I am at the national secretariat of our party in Abuja in a meeting. Their claim is laughable.
“What is the position of the person that convened the meeting that sacked me. They are trying to see if they can instigate crisis in our party. That is their only interest”.
Following the controversial primaries rejected by most the party’s governorship aspirants, some of the stakeholders refused to join Senator Uba in the campaign on the allegation that the primary that produced him was not credible.
Chief Okom, revealed that a new chairman would assume office soon, pointing out that Ejidike’s issue has been referred to the national headquarters of APC for further action.
He said, “As a result of the refusal, neglect or inability of the Caretaker Committee Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, Mr 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 APC Constitution, the state congress of the party 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 with the mandate of the 326 Ward chairmen in Anambra State, held at the grounds of FINOTEL Hotel, Awka, attended by the Ward chairmen, LG chairmen, members of the State Executive Committee, stakeholders and all card-carrying members of the party across the state, the following resolutions were duly proposed and unanimously passed.
*That Mr Basil Ejidike be and is hereby suspended forthwith from office as the caretaker chairman of APC in Anambra State, pending his appearance before a disciplinary/ fact-finding committee of the party.
*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 days from the date hereof to discuss the modalities for strengthening and repositioning the APC and for moving the party forward in Anambra State.
*That Mr Basil Ejidike shall be referred to the disciplinary/fact finding committee of the party in the state as prescribed by the APC Constitution to answer to charges of abuse of power and office, diversion and conversion of party property, flagrant sabotage, subversion and breach of the party’s Constitution, insubordination and disrespect to the office and person of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, embezzlement and misappropriation of party’s funds, among other charges”.
That as required by the party Constitution, the resolutions has been transmitted immediately to the National Caretaker and Extra Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) for immediate implementation”.