Six national officers and three state chairmen have been suspended by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), over gross misconduct and anti-party activities.
The National Secretary of the party, Oyadeyi Adebayo made this known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.
The suspended national officers according to Adebayo were the National Treasurer, Mrs Rose Gyar; National Financial Secretary, Nadir Baba; National Publicity Secretary, Muktar Sidi; National Welfare Officer, Abubakar Ahmed; National Youth leader, Felix Idowu; and Vice Chairman South East, Rowland Inyama.
He listed the suspended stage chairmen as Nuhu Soba -Kaduna State, Abram Gyabo- Nasarawa State, and Thomas Akosu- Federal Capital Territory,
Adebayo said that the suspended officers of the party held a kangaroo meeting and appointed the former National Treasurer, Gyar as the acting National Chairman in violation of APM constitution registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Article 10(7) of the party constitution provides that, “Two-third majority of the Executive Committee at all levels shall form a quorum” for any meeting at the instance of the national Chairman.
“Only six out of 20 members of the National Working Committee attended the purported meeting.
“ It is obvious that any decision taken in the meeting was null and void and of no effect whatsoever in the operations of our great party,” Adebayo said.
He said that the party NWC had set up a 3-man disciplinary Committee which with Ken Ikeh as Chairman, Hafsat Usman – Secretary and Kalu Njoku member, to investigate the allegations, petitions and anti party activities against the suspended officers.
He said that the committee report was expected to be submitted to NWC in two weeks time.
He said that the NWC reaffirmed the vote of confidence passed on the APM National Chairman, Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle by the National Executive Committee (NEC) in its meeting held on Feb. 5, in Abuja.
Adebayo said that NWC was aware of external forces that wants to destabilize the party ahead of the 2023 general election.
“The party remains focused in its determination to win future elections and has released its timetable and guidelines for the 2023 general election duly acknowledged and published by INEC.
“APM remains a mass movement and formidable opposition party ready to rescue the nation from inept leadership and return power back to the people on whom sovereignty resides,” he said.
Meanwhile the party released its timetable for the conduct of primaries for 2023 general elections.
The party in a letter jointly signed by Dantalle and Adebayo scheduled the conduct of its primary for the Senate and House of Representatives elections for May 23, while that of governorship and State House of Assembly was fixed for May 25.
The party also fixed May 30 for the conduct of its presidential election primary.