Ekiti APC Suspends Segun Oni

Ekiti APC Suspends Segun Oni
  • Authors of suspension letter are rascals, former gov replies

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ifaki-Ekiti Ward II, Ido/Osi Local Government Area (LGA) of Ekiti State, has suspended a former governor of the state, Mr. Segun Oni, indefinitely.

But in a swift reaction, the former governor has described those behind his purported suspension as rascals, adding that if a group of rascals signed a letter, he would not give it any thought.

According to a statement signed by the APC Chairman of the ward, Shina Akinloye, and Secretary, Taiwo Ogunyemi, Oni’s suspension followed his refusal to honour an invitation sent to him by the “fact-finding committee” of the ward over allegations of anti-party activities levelled against him.

In a letter dated May 1, 2019 and addressed to Oni by the APC, the ruling party said it took the action due to the failure of the party chieftain to appear before the ward executive to clear the allegations.

The letter was signed by the Chairman and Secretary of Ifaki Ward II, Shina Akinloye and Ogunyemi Taiwo , respectively, and 24 other executive members in the ward.

The APC executive in Ido /Osi LGA, through its Assistant Financial Secretary, and Assistant Organising Secretary, Messrs A. Suleiman and Olanrewaju Olamope, signed the letter, respectively .

Apart from being a former governor, Oni also served as the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party under the tenure of Chief John Oyegun.

The letter, which is titled: ‘Suspension from All Progressives Congress Ward II, Ifaki Ekiti.’

The letter reads: “Subject to Article 21 Subsections I, II and X of the APC Constitution 2014 as amended, we the undersigned executive members of the APC hereby suspend you indefinitely from our great party, based on your refusal to honour our invitation for investigation and fact-finding into the allegation of anti-party activities leveled against your person by the members of our party.

“We are by the copy of this letter informing both the local government and State Working Committee of the party for necessary information and action”

APC had in a letter dated April 24, 2019, and signed by the ward executive, invited Oni to appear before a panel.

The letter reads: “We the executive members of the APC in Ifaki Ward II, hereby request your presence at the Ilero town hall, Ilogbe , Ifaki Ekiti, to clear air about the allegations by members of the APC in your ward.

“Kindly indicate by informing the APC chairman the convenient time and date to appear before members within the next seven days of the reception of this letter”.

The letter of invitation was received on Oni’s behalf by one Segun Adetunji on April 25, 2019. But in a swift reaction, the former governor said he
was not sure of the said suspension.

“I am not sure. There is a structure in the party. There is a way things are done in the party,” he said.

Reacting to his alleged failure to honour the invitation of APC Ifaki Ward as conveyed in a letter dated April 24, the former governor queried the people behind the said invitation.

“Who are they? I am not a nobody in the party. So, I cannot be expected to honour such a faceless invitation.

“Who are they? What is their pedigree? If a group of rascals signed a letter, how can they expect me to give any thought to such? Let those who wrote the letter show face and levy allegations,” Oni said.

Oni had headed to a Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge Fayemi’s candidature.

In his suit, Oni had claimed that Fayemi was ineligible to stand as the APC candidate because he did not resign his ministerial appointment, as the law demands, before clinching the APC ticket.

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