By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday waded into the suspension drama raging in the Ekiti State chapter of the party.
Recall that the state chapter of the party on Thursday, suspended a presidential adviser, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, and the son-in-law to Senator Bola Tinubu, Oyetunde Ojo, and nine other party leaders for alleged disobedience to the directive of the party’s National Executive Committee.
But on Friday, the Babafemi Ojudu camp responded by announcing the suspension of the governor, Kayode Fayemi, and all those that participated in their suspension.
The tit for tat has caught the attention of the national leadership of the party, which quickly nullified all the suspensions.
This was contained in a statement titled, “Disclaimer: Governor Kayode Fayemi, Other Purported ‘Suspensions’ a Nullity – APC”, signed by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, on Friday.
Nabena wrote, “The attention of the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to a purported and widely-reported ‘suspension’ of the Governor of Ekiti State, H.E. Kayode Fayemi as well as an earlier reported ‘indefinite suspension’ of some other party members in the state.
“The actions are a nullity as the Party’s National Secretariat is yet to receive communication from the state chapter on the purported suspensions. We strongly advise all members to adhere to our Party constitution.
“Governor Kayode Fayemi remains the leader of the party in Ekiti State. In line with the mandate of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee and the President’s admonition to party members to ensure and support ongoing amicable and rancour-free settlement of internal party disputes, we call on our esteemed party members and leaders in Ekiti State to be duly guided.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Architect Paul Omotosho-chaired APC Ekiti State Working Committee is the authentic, valid, and duly recognised Executive as no factions or divisions exist in the State Chapter.”
But curiously, though the party recognised Governor Fayemi as the leader of the APC in Ekiti State, it nullified the suspension his group slammed on the ‘rebel’ members, thereby undermining his authority to rein in dissident members.
For some observers, the battle over the party structure in Ekiti State is a proxy war between Governor Fayemi and the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, who styles himself as the national leader of the APC. Politically, both men don’t see eye to eye.
But the APC statement said the paramount interest in its intervention in the crisis is to restore order in line with the mandate of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee and the President’s admonition to party members to ensure and support ongoing amicable and rancour-free settlement of internal party disputes.
The statement of the APC, for some analysts, has only created more crisis of confidence for the leadership of the party in the state.
