By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Ekiti state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed an indefinite suspension on a former Senator, Babafemi Ojudu.
The suspension, analysts say, is the continuation of the battle to control the party in Ekiti state between Ojudu and the state governor, Kayode Fayemi
Ojudu, who has been angling to become the governor of the state, was suspended from the APC along with 10 others.
The suspension, announced by the party’s publicity secretary, Ade Ajayi, said their offence was that they flouted the directive of the party’s national executive.
The other members suspended with Ojudu include; Ayo Ajibade, Oyetunde Ojo, Femi Adeleye, Chief Akin Akomolafe and Bunmi Ogunleye.
The others are; Bamigboye Adegoroye, Dr Wole Oluyede, Olusoga Owoeye, Dele Afolabi and Toyin Oluwasola.
Ajayi said the suspension followed the recommendation of the Disciplinary Committee inaugurated by the party’s State Executive Council to investigate alleged disobedience of certain party members to the National Executive Committee (NEC).
According to the APC, Ojudu and the other members flouted the directive of the NEC which had directed members of the party not to institute any court action and to withdraw existing cases in court.
He said Ojudu and the other members disobeyed the decision, and hence the suspension.
He said the suspension of Ojudu and the other 10 members have been communicated to the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Planning Convention Committee.
In a swift reaction, Ojudu and the others, in a statement, said their expulsion would crumble the APC in the state.
“We are calling our national leadership to stop Dr Kayode Fayemi from killing our party in Ekiti. Things are bad enough now for the party in the state. Allowing him to carry out our expulsion will only spell doom for our beloved APC,” they said.
They alleged that Fayemi was scared of their presence in the party, hence his decision to mastermind their suspension.
They said the fact that they stood against the poor governance and government of exclusion being experienced in Ekiti was the reason for the suspension.
“We however, insist we shall under no circumstance leave the party to join another. We were members of the party from foundation and also members of defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), a legacy party that joined with others to form APC,” they said.