By SUNDAY JOHN

Eighteen officials of All Progressives Congress (APC) from Gayam Ward, in Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, have rejected the purported suspension of Aliyu Bello, the State Chairman of the party, over alleged anti-party activities.

The Chairman of Gayam ward, Ibrahim Iliyasu, had on Tuesday, led 13 other executives of the party, including the secretary, Ibrahim Kwande, to suspend Bello from the APC for allegedly promoting an aspirant from another political party.

However, another faction of the ward executive led by Adamu Bawa, who is the Assistant Secretary, dismissed the suspension at a press conference on Wednesday in Lafia.

Bawa explained that the party convened an emergency meeting at the ward following the action of Iliyasu and a few others.

He said that the purported suspension of the state chairman did not follow due process, and was in flagrant violation of the provisions of Article 21 of the Constitution of the party, 2022, as amended.

He declared that the suspension was illegal, invalid, and of no effect whatsoever, adding that the Gayam Ward Executive Committee categorically dissociated itself from it.

“The Ward Chairman, Ibrahim Iliyasu, and the Ward Secretary, Ibrahim Kwande, and a few others unlawfully purported to have suspended the state chairman,” he said.

He said that the actions were taken without consultation, quorum, or consent of the Gayam Ward Executive Committee and adherence to laid-down disciplinary procedures as stipulated in the APC Constitution.

Bawa said the conduct some chairman and other executive amounts to gross misconduct, abuse of office, and a breach of party discipline capable of bringing disrepute to the image of the party at the Ward, Local Government, and State levels.

He further announced that the Chairman and Secretary of the party in the ward were hereby suspended from office and subsequently referred to the appropriate disciplinary committee for investigation and sanction in line with the provisions of the party.

The group, therefore, reaffirmed their loyalty and unflinching support for the leadership of Aliyu Bello as the duly recognised and legitimate State Chairman of APC in the state.

He added that their resolution would be communicated to the party leadership at the Local Government, State, and National Secretariat for further action and records.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other wards officials at the press conference include the Deputy Chairman, Adamu Awe, the Auditor, Garba Baba, the Treasurer, Sarki Usman; the Youth Leader, Auwal Wambai, the Assistant Auditor, Alhassan Dahiru, among others. (NAN)