Two national officers of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank and Muiz Banire have been reprimanded in the last two years; Frank by the South-South zonal executive and Banire by his ward in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State. As the party sets out to placate aggrieved chieftains, Senior Deputy Editor, TAIWO AMODU, examines the seeming dilemma of the reconciliation team, given the undercurrent of the forces that instigated their suspension.
The Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu reconciliation drive has received the warm embrace of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) national leadership, the governors and its ordinary faithful across the country. It is an understatement that the ruling party is heavily polarized, barely one year to the general elections. Certain chieftains of the party have even expressed reservations that the troubleshooting move is coming too late. They are however hopeful that it could achieve the desired goal, given the pedigree of the arrowhead of the team.
One of the reasons that have been adduced for the crisis in the state’s chapters is the supremacy battle between the governors who are bent on appropriating the party structures in their respective states and other notable chieftains who are also deserving to be heard and accorded recognition.
Mainly in this latter category are the federal lawmakers. Investigations revealed that in states like Kano, Bauchi, Kogi and Kaduna, the arrowheads of opposition against the governors are the senators and members of the House of Representatives who have been derisively labelled as the ‘Abuja politicians.’
Party members are watching with bated breath how Asiwaju Tinubu will get the warring groups in troubled chapters to a roundtable few months to party primaries. Another acid test for the committee is the resolution of the suspension of two national officers of the party: Timi Frank and Muiz Banire, deputy national publicity Secretary and national legal adviser, respectively of the party.
Comrade Frank, from Bayelsa State was suspended in October 2016 by the zonal executive of the party following recommendations of a five-man disciplinary committee which investigated the petition against the member of the party National Working Committee (NWC).
Frank has consistently accused the National Chairman, Chief Odigie Oyegun, of poor leadership, alleging that his failure to convene meetings of the national executive committee (NEC) of the party was inimical to the progress of the party. He further argued that the crises in states have festered because of what he claimed as the complacency of its national chairman.
The zonal vice chairman (South-South) of the party, Honourable Hilliard Eta, while adopting the committee’s report, told journalists that Frank was suspended in line with Article 21 (d) and (f) of the party`s constitution. The committee also recommended to the party`s NEC that Frank should be expelled from the party.
“In furtherance of satisfying the provisions of the constitution of the APC, I had to call for this emergency meeting of the zone. After very exhaustive deliberation, the zone has arrived at the confirmation of the disciplinary committee’s report that Mr Timi Frank be suspended from the party forthwith. This is in line with Article 1 (d) and (f) having been accepted by this house, he hereby stands suspended by this party,” he said.
Eta said the zonal committee would recommend to the party’s NEC that Frank should be expelled from the party in line with Article 21 D H (2 and 3) of its constitution, adding that the committee was not hasty in suspending Frank as being claimed in some quarters as the party’s constitution stipulates that petitions should be swiftly treated.
Nigerian Tribune findings however revealed that Article 21 D, (ii, iii) of the APC 2014 Constitution (as amended), quoted by the Zonal Chairman on suspension and expulsion vests the NEC and Board of Trustees with the powers to take a decision the south-south zonal executive arrogated to itself.
In July 2017, the National Legal Adviser of the party, Muiz Banire, (SAN) from Lagos State was equally slammed with suspension. The Executive Committee of the APC in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos suspended him, citing anti-party activities.
The suspension according to media reports, followed recommendation by his ward (Ward C, Ilasamaja, Mushin).
According to the Acting Secretary of the ward, Taofeek Ajani-Balogun, the decision to suspend Banire from the party was reached during the ward meeting held to review the last local government elections in the ward.
“After a critical assessment of individual activities and the performance of the party during the last elections, members of the party in Ward C, Ilasamaja, Mushin unanimously voted for the immediate suspension of Banire from participating in party activities in the ward and his removal from office as national legal adviser.’’
Speaking further, Ajani-Balogun said the meeting resolved to suspend the ward and Local Government Area chairmen and executives due to the poor results recorded in the last elections and has forwarded the ward’s decision to the local government areas for further deliberations and recommendations to the state chapter.
Also justifying Banire’s suspension, the acting party chairman in Mushin, Mr. Sola Osobajo, said the party received and reviewed minutes of meeting from Ward C and considered the decisions contained therein.
He said: “After receiving the minutes of the Ward C meeting, concerned and committed members of our great party, APC in Mushin Local Government deliberated on the resolutions of the ward meeting, and having carefully considered the decision of Ward C executive, we decided to adopt the resolution for further necessary action at the state and national level. The party executive in Mushin Local Government further recommended to the state chapter the expulsion of Mr. Muiz Banire from the party,” he said.
Some of the grounds for the purported anti-party activities leveled against Banire include that he allegedly caused a legal representative to disavow the party in a suit before the local council elections and for working towards the electoral failure of the party, inciting the public against the interest of the party; falsely accusing the party of imposition in public before the local government election, thereby bringing the party into disrepute; disobeying and causing others to disobey lawful directives of the party and causing disaffection within the party.
Banire in his response dismissed his suspension, accusing the party executives in his Mushin ward and by extension, the state chapter, of crass lawlessness and ignorance of party constitution, guidelines and body that could suspend a national officer.
He said: “My attention has been drawn to a press release purportedly emanating from the Lagos State Government on behalf of some APC members. Assuming, without conceding, that this were genuine members of the party, it is evidence of crass lawlessness. If these crooked elements were members of the party, they would know that by the constitution of the party, it is the National executive committee that can remove a national officer of the party responsible for the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
“I, therefore, urge the members of the public to ignore these undesirable and mischievous elements together with their antics. Their actions showcase their desperation to foist lawlessness on the party and the citizenry at large. It is important for me to state that their aim is to cause me unwarranted embarrassment and intimidation with the hope that I, in my usual responsible way, would step aside or resign from my position as the national legal adviser of the party.
“However, due to the monstrosity of irresponsibility and illicitness of their conducts and agenda, I am duty-bound to remain in office till the expiration of my tenure. Our great party cannot be allowed to surrender to the idiocy of any person or group whatsoever.’’
Unlike the suspension of Timi Frank, who incidentally is from the same South-South zone as the party national chairman, the APC NWC rose in defence of its national legal adviser.
The national publicity secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement dismissed the suspension of Banire as a nullity, as he noted rightly, that the power to reprimand a national officer resides with the NEC of the party.
“We wish to state categorically that the purported suspension is a nullity as the local chapter of the party does not have such powers to suspend a national officer. According to the party’s constitution, such powers reside with the national executive committee (NEC) of the party. The party advised that whatever issues there might be, its structure and constitution provide ample avenues for redress and dispute resolution. If the local chapter is unable to achieve a resolution, the NWC can and will wade in the matter to achieve amicable settlement.”
The Oyegun/ Tinubu connection
Nigerian Tribune findings revealed that the axed deputy national publicity secretary has faulted the leadership style of the Odigie Oyegun. Frank is believed to be a loyalist of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar who has since defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP). He has vowed not to leave the party, despite the former vice president’s exit.
It is believed that his suspension by the zonal executive of the party was instigated by forces not comfortable with his sustained indictment of the Oyegun leadership on the pages of newspapers.
Findings further revealed that the action against Muiz Banire was orchestrated by certain forces in the Lagos State chapter of the party. A party source told Nigerian Tribune in confidence that Muiz Banire has since joined forces with the likes of Babatunde Fashola and Kayode Fayemi, in a duel against their political benefactor, Bola Tinubu.
Observers are quick to note that while the Oyegun team was silent on the suspension of Timi Frank, it was swift in repudiating the action taken by its Lagos chapter against Banire. They are watching, with keen interest to see the Tinubu team will address the impasse.
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