Primaries: APC suspends Deputy Chairman

The Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), North East Zone, Abubakar Ajiya, on Saturday announced the suspension of Mustapha Salihu, the Zonal Chairman of the zone.

Ajiya, in a letter addressed to Salihu through the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, entitled; `Re: Letter of Vote of No Confidence’ in Abuja, said the suspension was in line with the party’s article 21D.

The letter read: “Having failed to fulfill or appear before this Honourable body, the North East Zonal Office called upon at Jose Martins Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja dated 11/10/2018.

“This letter is an expression of our ‘Vote of No Confidence’ in Mr Mustapha Salihu based on the power vested on us in artcle 21D: vi, he is hereby suspended with immediate effect for his inability to run the party affairs judiciously, prudently, democratically and accountably.”

The secretary revealed that the charges against Salihu included his failure to call meeting as and when due contrary to Article 25D: 1, and for allegedly causing disunity among members of the party in the zone.

Ajiya further announced that a 3-man committee had been inaugurated to look into allegations leveled against the deputy chairman.

According to him, members of the investigative committee are Alkali Kolo, Sani Haruna and Abdulkadir Abdulkadir.

But, when contacted on telephone, the APC deputy chairman, dismissed the allegations against him, saying those who took the decision to suspend him had no constitutional right to do so.

He explained that only 1/3 of the Zonal Executive Committee, North East, comprising of about 150 members could suspend any official in the zone in line with Article 12.6 of the party.

Ajiya, who described his suspension as a joke, alleged that the signature of the Women Leader, Amina Manga, on the purported suspension letter was forged.

“The women leader spoke to me today, She said that she was not part of the Abuja meeting where they took their decision to suspend me,” he said.

On allegation that he substituted names of some aspirants that won the just concluded primaries in the zone, Salihu dismissed the allegation, saying all decisions he took concerning the aspirants had the backing of the APC National Working Committee in Abuja.