The members of the Taraba State Executive Committee (SEC) of the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Saturday passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman Barr. Ibrahim Tukur El-Suldi and removed him from office as the Chairman of APC in the State.

In a release jointly signed by the APC Taraba State Executive Committee members, the committee members said the powers conferred on them by Article 21(d)(vi) of the APC Constitution gave them the powers to remove the Chairman.

The statement read, “our grounds and justification for passing a vote of no confidence on El-Suldi, and to consequently remove him from office as Taraba State APC Chairman relates to his failure to discharge his responsibilities, as well as neglect and dereliction of duty and misconduct.

“He has neglected his duties and lawful directives of the party. Contrary to the directives of the National Secretariat that the indirect mode of primary election should be adopted, the state chairman communicated to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the party chose direct mode of primary election.

“This has caused disaffection and discord within the party resulting in numerous litigations. This contravenes Article 21 (a)(iii) of the APC Constitution. El-Suldi has consistently absented himself from his office in Taraba State, and has relocated and set up permanent base in Abuja-FCT effectively abdicating his office by his failure, refusal, or neglect to discharge the duties and functions of his office.

“His absence has created vacuum in the administration of the party in the state, as the party in Taraba is effectively rudderless, directionless, and lacking in leadership and bearing. This has also caused disaffection within the party.

“El-Sudi has failed, refused or neglected to call for SEC meetings without any justification whatsoever. The SEC is effectively comatose, and no one knows what is happening, as the other officers of the party in the state are sidelined in their official functions of the party.

“At this critical election period, when the party ought to be strategizing and planning on how to win the forthcoming elections, the importance of SEC meetings cannot be overemphasized. However, El-Sudi by his conduct has undermined our collective efforts towards winning the forthcoming elections,” the statement read.

The SEC also accused El-Suldi of singlehandedly removing five local government chairmen who were legitimately elected, and he replaced them with his minions, thereby forming factions and parallel administration in the local governments, the act which contravenes Article 21(a)(vi) against factionalisation or creating parallel party organs at any level.”

Citing the above alleged infractions and among others, the SEC in statement said, “we have therefore, invoked the powers conferred on us by Article 21(d)(vi) of the APC Constitution and have removed him from office as the APC Chairman Taraba State. Please note that the resolution to so remove him was reached with the full support of the local government chairmen who have also appended their names and signatures in the annexed list”.

Reacting to the development, Publicity Secretary of the party in the State, Mr Aaron Artimas said the purported removal was done by some desperate members of the party who feel that they will not make any headway in the rescheduled governorship primary slated for February 10.

“I am a member of the State Executive Committee but I didn’t signed the purported removal. What they did was to bring in some members of the SEC loyal to David Kente to carry out the shameful act,” he said. (Sunday Tribune)

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