THE National Executive Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been called upon to swiftly resolve the ongoing constitutional logjam in leadership of the party in Delta State.
The call was made by an APC stalwart in Delta, Mr Robinson Ariyo while addressing journalists on Tuesday in Warri.
Ariyo said the crisis rocking the party in the state might be capable of excluding APC from fielding a candidate in the 2017 Warri South Constituency (1) Bye-election.
He called on the party’s NEC to act fast and resolve the protracted crisis rocking the party in the state.
Ariyo, former APC candidate in the 2015 Delta House of Assembly election, said his decision to participate in the bye-election would depend on how the party leaders were able to address the issue in a proper manner.
According to him, the State Executive Council (SEC) of the party, led by Prophet Jones Erue, had been nullified by a competent Court of Law and wondered why the sacked executive still parade themselves as authentic SEC and holding sway to the party’s properties.
“On April 30, 2015, the Adolo Okotie-Eboh led SEC successfully upturned the legal status of Jones Erue led SEC in a Suit No. A/245/2014.
Let’s bear in mind that an appeal has been filed against the judgement by the Erue’s led SEC.
However, it is left for the APC to either act on the said judgement or pretend that its hands are tied by the judgement.
APC has constitution and the law remains that every member of a political party is bound by the constitution of the party,” he said.
The Warri-based lawyer and peace-builder alleged that some APC leaders at the NEC, who were detailed to enforce the judgement, had conspired with the Erue-led executive in an attempt to circumvent the court order.
The national leaders of the party, and he informed, instituted a suit against the APC that they don’t have the powers to enforce the judgement against Erue and his cohorts.
He also said that Erue and his executive had proceeded to the Federal High Court Warri to file a Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/165/15 adding that it was a violation of the fundamental provision of the APC constitution.
“Any member who filed an action in Court of Law against the Party or any of its officer on any matter relating to the discharge of duties.
“Without first exhausting the avenues for redress provided for in the constitution shall automatically stand expelled from the party in taking such action.
“No appeal against expulsion stipulated in this clause shall be entertained until the withdrawal of the action from court by the members,” he said.
Ariyo said by virtue of the APC constitution, Erue and his crew were not supposed to be in possession of any property of the party including party registers and nomination forms.
It will be recalled that Warri South Constituency (1) was occupied by late Mrs Omawunmi Udoh, who reportedly died of breast cancer on Dec. 13, 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) at the age of 56.
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