John Shiklam in Kaduna
The faction of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna state, loyal to Governor Nasir-El-Rufai, has suspended Suleiman Hunkuyi, the senator representing Kaduna North Senatorial District for six months.
Hunkuyi, according to Yahaya Baba Pate, the Secretary of the governor’s faction of party, was suspended alongside 28 others for creating a parallel party secretariat with the intention to factionalise the party, which amounts to anti-party activities.
Pate announced this in an interview with journalists on Friday evening after a meeting of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party, attended by the deputy governor, Barnabas Bala Bantex, members of the State House of Assembly and other stakeholders.
He warned that the APC would no longer tolerate acts of indiscipline or insubordination from party members, saying the decision to suspend Hunkuyi and others was taken in line with the party constitution.
The Senator Hunkuyi faction of the party, had on Thursday issued a query to Governor El-Rufai for alleged anti-party activities. The faction had also suspended two of El-Rufai’s aides, Uba Sani, the governor’s special adviser on politics and the commissioner for finance for 18 months for ant-party activities.
Pate the acting state secretary, was also suspended by the Hunkuyi faction. The Hunkuyi faction also announced the relocation of the state secretariat of the party along Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna to Sambo Close.
However, reacting to the suspension, spokesman to Hunkuyi, Yahaya Shinko, described the action as laughable and of no consequence.
He maintained that the Hunkuyi faction is the authentic and the only state party organ that is recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the national leadership APC
He said, there is no way Hunkuyi could have been suspended by the “so-called†state party leadership, without giving him a fair hearing about his offence.
Earlier while the meeting was going on, two of the lawmakers who attended the meeting were attacked by thugs while leaving the party secretariat. The prompt intervention of the police who were drafted to the venue of the meeting saved them from being lynched.
