Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja
An emergency National Executive Council (NEC) of the African Action Congress (AAC) has said reversed the purported suspension of its presidential candidate during the last general election, Mr. Omoyele Sowore.
The AAC Deputy National Secretary, Dr. Joshua Adeoye read the resolution of the NEC meeting held yesterday at the Lugbe Federal Housing Estate, Abuja, saying Sowore “is henceforth the National Chairman of the party.”
The party, also, announced the expulsion of a factional acting National Chairman, Leonard Nzenwa, who announced in May that the AAC, at its second NEC meeting, held March 27 in Abuja resolved to suspend Sowore and nine others over alleged corruption and abuse of office.
Following extensive deliberations, Adeoye said the resolutions “have been adopted by the NEC of the AAC. Mr. Omoyele Sowore is the National Chairman of the AAC and Dr. Malcolm Fabiyi is his deputy.
“Following the failure by Leonard Nzenwa to appear before this NEC to defend himself, the NEC, in line with Article 80 and 81 of the AAC Constitution, found Leonard Nzenwa guilty of the offences in Article 80 (a), (b), (d), (e) and (f) of the AAC Constitution. Leonard Nzenwa is hereby expelled from the African Action Congress with immediate effect in line with Article 81 (1) and 81 (2) (a) of the AAC Constitution.
“The NEC hereby directs the National Working Committee (NWC) to immediately petition the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies and insist on the prosecution of Nzenwa for forgery, perjury among others criminal acts arising from his felonious conduct.”
“All allegations against Sowore were/are manufactured. There is no case of financial impropriety against Sowore. His is the only campaign that declared money as it was raised, carried people along as it was spent, and within six weeks of the end of the campaign.
“The NEC out rightly rejects, cancels, reverses and totally repudiates the “suspension” (or purported suspension) of Sowore and Fabiyi from their offices. The NEC hereby affirms and reinstates Sowore as the AAC National Chairman and Fabiyi as his deputy National Chairman.
He insisted that all actions carried out by Nzenwa in the name of the AAC, including documents signed or authored by him,” are hereby dismissed.”
He contended that the position of the NEC “is that the judiciary, as decided by the Supreme Court in several cases, has no right to dabble into the domestic affairs of a political party and is not a forum for determining the leadership of political parties.”
The AAC noted that it was registered by, and continues “to be an integral part of the Take-It-Back movement, which was convened, and is still led Sowore.”
Adeoye said a constitution review committee “has been set up that will submit its reports by 30th September 2019. The committee is to be headed by Fabiyi.”
“Other members include the National Legal Adviser, Inibehe Effiong. who shall be the Co-Chairman and the Deputy National Secretary, Dr. Joshua Adeoye who shall serve as the Secretary, and Mr. Ugo Ubili.
“This committee has three months to complete its task, and submit its report for consideration by the National Working Committee for onward recommendation to the NEC, and finally, to the next Convention of the party,” Adeoye stated.
