APGA crisis: Umeh remains national chairman –Sowunmi
National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the South-west, Alhaji Tayo Sowunmi yesterday, said the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Chief Victor Umeh was still in charge of the party, insisting that his tenure would lapse in 2015.
In an interview with Daily Sun in Lagos, he disclosed that the group led by Alhaji Sani Massala, who was elected Deputy National Chairman (North) at the National Convention of the party in February 2011, had no constitutional power to suspend Umeh and the National Secretary of the party, Alhaji Sani Shinkarfi.
According to him, Massala, now a factional Acting National Chairman of the party, with his group, had been summoned to appear before the Disciplinary Committee set up by the NWC this week Wednesday at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja. He stated that the step was taken after the Massala and four others who supported him were suspended. He appealed to the Massala Group to sheath their swords and come back to the fold.
“Constitutionally, the quorum of our NWC is one-third of the total number of members and we are 29 in the NWC. A quorum would have to be 10 people. But they (Massala Group) were only five there that signed that their communiqué. Five out of 29 would never form the quorum. To suspend any party member, there must be a properly and legally called meeting of the NWC that would be attended by all the members of the committee from all over the country.
“For record purposes, we were elected at the convention held in February 2011 in Awka, Anambra State. The convention was attended by a very heavy representation of the INEC officials who have actually written their report of that convention. “The convention was attended by all and the only governor that we have then was, Mr. Peter Obi of Anambra State as well as our gubernatorial candidates including the present governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha.
“On the 19th of this month, Massala and four other officers gatecrashed into the conference room of our national secretariat and purportedly held a meeting where they said they suspended Victor Umeh and Sani Shinkarfi and that he, Massala has become the Acting National Chairman.
“There was no meeting of the NWC on June 19. If any meeting was held, I am the National Vice Chairman in South West, it is compulsory that I should attend.”
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