The Disciplinary Committee of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ward C of Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State has summoned the embattled National Legal Adviser of the party, Mr. Muiz Banire, over alleged anti-party activities and misappropriation of campaign materials and logistics.
In a letter dated July 10, 2017 signed by the Secretary of the Committee, Mr. Badru Olaide, Banire was directed to appear before the Committee to defend allegations contained in a petition written against him by concerned members of the party over series of infractions of the party’s constitution.
According to the letter, which was published in some national dailies on Friday, Banire is to appear before the sitting of the Committee scheduled to hold by 10am on Monday, August 14, 2017 at Mushin Sports Centre in Bishop Aggey Memorial School, Ilasamaja.
“The business of the sitting is to examine, hear and determine the complaints against you (Banire) by concerned members of our party,” Olaide said, adding that Banire was at liberty to attend with legal practitioners of his choice and relevant documents and witnesses to defend the allegations against him.
In the petition written by two members of the party – Mr Olukayode Tunde Tolu and Mr Ayodeji Adebayo, the petitioners are asking that Banire be suspended from the party and debarred from holding any party office as well as contesting office on the platform of the party for a period of 10 years.
They alleged that aside that Banire had been continuously absent from ward meetings for more than two years contrary to Article 9 (2) (iii) of the party’s Constitution, he has also been engaging in unrestrained media campaigns against the party, its organs, leaders and functionaries, a development deliberately calculated to embarrass the party and bring it into disrepute contrary to Article 9 (2) (I) of the Constitution.
The petition reads in part: “That the member (Banire) has openly been encouraging and inciting Court actions against the party, its organs and functionaries when internal dispute resolution mechanisms have not been explored or exhausted contrary to Article 21 (A) (ii) of the Constitution.
“The member (Banire) has been conducting himself in such a way and manner as to constitute a distraction to the good policies and programmes of the Government of President Muhammadu contrary to Article 21 (A) (ii) of the Constitution.
“That the member (Banire) collected campaign “materials and logistics” – for the 2015 general elections and the recent Local Government Elections without deploying, disbursing or applying same for the benefit of the party. He has failed to pay, as at when due or howsoever, party dues and levies. “That the member (Banire) has been conducting himself and continues to conduct himself in such a way and manner as could jeopardize, endanger or damage the electoral fortunes of the party and the party brand contrary to Article 21 (A) (ii) of the Constitution.”
It would be recalled that hundreds of party leaders and members in Mushin had staged a peaceful protest to the Governor’s office in Alausa where they submitted a petition for onward transmission to the national APC leadership demanding Banire’s expulsion from the party.
They alleged that Banire intentionally neglected his duties as the party’s legal adviser by failing to defend the party’s interest in a law suit, and also going to the ridiculous and unprofessional extent of causing a legal representative to disavow the party in the said law suit.