The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress was plunged into a fresh crisis on Wednesday as a factional chairman of the party in the state Chief Dan Nwafor announced the indefinite suspension of the leader of the APC National Working Committee-backed faction Chief Marcellinus Nlemigbo.
Speaking at a press conference in Owerri, Nwafor said Nlemigbo was suspended over alleged anti-party activities.
He also alleged that the chairman of the caretaker committee appointed by the NWC to replace his executive had not attended APC meetings in his Ezinihitte ward in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state in the last one year.
Nwafor said the suspension followed due process.
He said, “It started from a letter of suspension from his Ezinihitte Mbieri ward in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state.”
He said the State Working Committee affirmed Nlemigbo’s suspension in accordance with the party’s constitution.
Describing members of the caretaker committee as impostors, Nwafor said he would not be distracted by the development.
He also said the party had commenced a contempt proceeding against the National Chairman of the party Adams Oshiomhole.
He said the suit was filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Nwafor, who accused Oshiomhole of working against the success of the party, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to monitor the activities of the former Edo State governor.
He said Oshiomhole had no power to dissolve the executive body he is leading and appoint a caretaker committee because they were duly elected.
Nwafor said the action was contemptuous because there was an existing court judgement barring Oshiomhole from dissolving his executive.
He said, “The National chairman had no power to arbitrarily dissolve a duly elected APC executive in Imo State and appoint a purported caretaker committee.”
Nwafor also said the caretaker committee had no power to summon Governor Rochas Okorocha and five others to appear before a “purported disciplinary committee”.
He said only his executive body had the right to set up a disciplinary committee and ask anyone to appear before it.