The Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee (CENCPC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has suspended 11 loyalists of Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed in Kwara State.
The committee accused them of taking the party and the State APC Chairman Abdullahi Samari Abubakar to court.
The approval of the suspension was contained in a letter by the National Secretary of the CENCPC, Senator James Akpanudoedehe, and addressed to Abubakar.
The letter reads: “The Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee considered the decision of the Kwara State Caretaker Committee, dated February 5, 2021, on the resolution of the Kwara State Disciplinary Committee to suspend erring members who instituted suit number CV/241/2021 between Joseph Tsado and 10 Others VS APC & 2 Others against the party.
“After due consideration of the decision, the members of the Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee found the decision meritorious because the members who instituted the above-mentioned suit against the party had flouted the directive of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of June 25, 2020, wherein the NEC resolved that no member of the Party should institute any action in court and to withdraw all pending cases in Court in order to explore the internal conflict resolution mechanisms of the party.
“Consequently, the CENCPC ratifies the decision of the Kwara State Caretaker Committee and upholds suspension of the following party members:
“Joseph Tsado, Bamidele Ogunbayo, Issa Fulani, Imam Abdulkadir, Morufu Olaniyi Yusuf, Saludeen Lukman, Kerebu Fatai, Bola Ajani, Nurudeen Fasasi, Salman Shehu Babatunde and Abdullateef Ahmed Kolawole.
“Take notice that this suspension constitutes a bar on the above-named persons from participating in the ongoing registration and revalidation of (party) membership.”
The group had kicked against the removal of the erstwhile State Chairman Bashir Bolarinwa, a development that divided the party into two factions with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Lai Mohammed struggling for the control of the state chapter of the party.
The 11 party men had prayed the court to remove Samari in alleged contravention of the June 25, 2020 directive of the party’s NEC, which forbids party members from taking any action in court.