Niger Gov Backs Removal of APC Chairman

Niger Gov Backs Removal of APC Chairman

Laleye Dipo in Minna

At last, the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has backed the removal of Alhaji Jibrin Imam as the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and two other party executives

Bello said the allegations against Imam; the erstwhile Secretary, Alhaji Liman, and Treasurer, Dr. Shafi Abdulrahaman, “are too weighty to be ignored,” hence relevant sections of the party constitution should be invoked on the trio.

The governor’s position was contained in a statement issued on the governor’s behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel Berje, on the outcome of the state executive council meeting of the party held last Monday night.

Alhaji Jibrin Imam, Alhaji Mohammed Liman and Dr. Shafi Abdulrahaman had been sacked from their positions by a group in the party about three months ago over allegations of gross financial mismanagement, maladministration and refusal to follow due process in the running of the party

Bello, according to the statement, said: “The allegations of financial misappropriation leveled against the former party Chairman, Imam, and two other officials of the party were too weighty to be brushed aside with a wave of the hand, hence relevant provisions of the party constitution were invoked to remove them from office

“It is an aberration for the former chairman not to call for SEC and caucus meetings of the party in almost four years from 2015 to 2019 against the party’s constitutional provision for such meetings quarterly.

“Something is fundamentally wrong. Let me also make it clear that there is no conflict between the former chairman and me as insinuated in some quarters. My position is that we must abide by the provisions of the constitution in running the affairs of the party.”

The statement also quoted an elder of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Magaji, as supporting the position of the governor.

Magaji was said to have told the meeting that the allegations against the chairman and others cannot be waved aside.

The State Executive Committee (SEC) has resolved to rebuild and reposition the party for better performance in 2023, and therefore, constituted a five man committees, including that of reconciliation to “avert impending crisis in the state.”

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