Purported removal of Taraba APC Chairman, failed civilian coup - Reps Caucus

By Christiana Ekpa

The Taraba State All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus in the House of Representatives on Monday, described the purported removal of chairman of the state chapter of the party, Hon. Ibrahim El-Sudi as a failed civilian coup, which cannot stand.

The Caucus led by Hon. Danjuma Sheddi, while briefing the news men at the National Assembly said “we by this press conference dissociate ourselves from calls for the resignation and the purported removal of Hon. El-Sudi as APC State Chairman through a press conference held on the 3rd day of February, 2023 by a skewed and self-serving section of the State Executive Committee (of APC) not properly constituted and without a quorum and consulting the State Caucus created by Article 12.9 of the APC Constitution”.

The caucus also fingered the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state of being behind the crisis rocking, including sponsoring the removal of the APC chairman, stressing that Hon. El-Sudi was duly elected at a properly constituted State Congress with a four year mandate and has for the umpteenth time received vote of confidence and even recently from the party’s State Executive Committee.

He said “We jointly and severally wish to affirm our faithfulness to the APC constitution which clearly stipulates procedure for leadership election and removal. The Preamble of Article 21 of the APC Constitution is neither there for fancy nor is it cosmetic. Having not invoked and exhausted paragraphs A-C of Article 21 of the APC

Constitution, can those claimed to have removed Hon. El-Sudi by invoking Section 21, paragraph D (v) of the APC Constitution be said to have validly exercised such powers assuming but not conceding they were properly constituted. The answer to this question is certainly in the negative.

“As the ruling political party at the national level and governing majority of the States in Nigeria, the party cannot afford to appear like a huge joke by allowing some skewed and self-serving people to purport to have removed the party Chairman in a way and manner at variance with the party constitution. This charade can at best be described as a failed civilian coup sponsored by enemies of the party. Such travesty of law must not be allowed to fester.

“We do not see any justification in fact and none at least backed by law for the purported removal from office of our State Chairman, especially at this very critical stage of preparation for elections. Such calls and attempts in some quarters purportedly to have extraconstitutionally removed the State Chairman is a calculated attempt to sabotage the party’s efforts at winning the 2023 general polls in the State at all levels.

“In the light of Article 21 of the APC Constitution, the way and manner Hon. ElSudi was purportedly removed is constitutionally flawed in SUBSTANCE and PROCEDURE. It is instructive and pertinent to note that our party has championed the sanctity of the APC Constitution (2022 as amended). We must therefore do everything to maintain this sanctity.

“We want the National Leadership of our party and world to know that the perpetrators of this unholy idea are in deep romance and in fact sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party state government in Taraba to destabilize the APC. We must point out clearly that any action by anyone or group that undermines the spirit of the party’s constitution at this crucial stage can only be likened to mutiny and considered as a deliberate attempt to sabotage the party’s efforts at winning in the coming general elections...”.

“We appeal to the leadership of our party at the national level to immediately wade in and rein on everyone, and ensure every member of our party respects the Constitution of our party because we must respect our own rules, particularly constitution as a party in all our dealings.

“The concern of every party member and Hon. El-Sudi’s determination to protect the interest of our members against any form of anti-party activities and open attempt to undermine the leadership of the party is deeply appreciated. However, we must be guided by the ethos of the supremacy of the party and its constitution.

“Going forward, our focus should be directed mainly to encouraging our teeming members to rally round our candidates vying for the Houses of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship and presidential positions and ensure that they win elections. This is more critical and essential than being bile and vile against party men and women.

“The Taraba APC caucus in the National Assembly and indeed other SEC members have confidence in the Hon. El-Sudi leadership prowess so far and we pledge our unwavering support and unalloyed commitment to our Presidential Candidate, H.E Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, H.E Sen. Kashim Shettima.

“We must reiterate the fact that our mission to redeem, rebuild and redirect Taraba on the path of shared prosperity is a task that must be done, to save our dear State from imminent total collapse which has been caused by the incumbent failed PDP leadership. Tarabans look up to the APC to redeem our dear state from the current rot.

“We must also caution that all efforts geared towards actualizing this must be centered on resolving our internal party issues within the Constitution and rules of the party. As a political party we have our Constitution, our rules and regulations which adequately stipulates the mode of operation of the party, its organs and powers. So, as members of the State Caucus of the party, we urge that no matter the level of disagreement, it should be resolved within our rules and not extra-constitutionally as witnessed in the actions of those who purported to have removed Hon. El-Sudi as the State Chairman of the party”, he said.