Mass Expulsion Looms As APC Goes Tough On Litigants As Crisis In Enugu Worsens

THE All Progressives Congress is set to go tough on members who have despite entreaties insisted on going ahead with litigation without first exhausting its internal conflict resolution mechanisms.

A top-ranking member of the party’s leadership confirmed the development to The PUNCH, in Abuja, on Monday.

The source, who spoke to one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said, “We have moved from the point of issuing threats to taking action.

“Remember, we have since the National Executive Committee meeting of December 8, last year appealed to our members to withdraw pending cases from court and resist the temptation of instituting fresh ones based on the directives of the President which was ratified by NEC but a few individuals decided to test our will.

“At the national level we are compiling a list of such persons and the cases. State chapters have been empowered to take the necessary and make recommendations which we will ratify based on the APC constitution.”

National Secretary of the party, Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, had announced that the party was compiling a list of members who has ignored the resolution of NEC asking all members to discontinue Court cases instituted against either the party or its leaders. The list he said would be forwarded to NEC for necessary action.

Crisis in Enugu worsens

This is coming at a time party leader in the Enugu State are locked in a war of attrition.

A member of the yet to be inaugurated APC Board of Trustees, Gen. Joseph Okoloagu (retd.), on Monday, dismissed his purported expulsion from the party by the embattled State Caretaker Chairman, Ben Nwoye, as a joke.

Okoloagu, said this in an interview with journalists in his residence, adding that Nwoye lacked the power to suspend or expel him.

Okoloagu said, “When you leave here let the world know that Ben Nwoye is suspended and his suspension is approved by the national leadership of the party.

“The major reason for removing him is that he has not been working for the interest of the APC, but has been working for the interest of PDP in Enugu State. 

 “Assuming but not conceding that we are expelled; as at the time he was giving his judgement he was no longer in a position to do so because he has long seized to be the chairman of the party right from the day he was removed as the chairman by his executive and the national headquarters approved it.”

The embattled State Caretaker Chairman, Ben Nwoye, had on Sunday announced the expulsion of 41 party members. Some of those he allegedly expelled included a member of the party’s yet to be inaugurated Board of Trustees, Gen. Joseph Okoloagu (retd.) and former Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime.  

(Punch)