The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Usani, has reacted to his suspension by the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
DAILY POST last Friday reported that NWC suspended the Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun and the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha for anti-party activities.
Also suspended by the APC NWC over anti-party activities were the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani and the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu.
But addressing reporters in Calabar on Sunday, Usani, through the Director General of his Governorship Campaign Organization, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, said he has not received any notification from APC regarding any form of suspension.
Usani described the suspension as a ‘joke’, adding that he has been a staunch supporter and loyal member of APC.
He stressed that suspension does not exist if procedures are not taken in line with the party’s constitution.
Usani said: “The constitution of the party is clear on cases of suspension: it clearly sites circumstances and outlines procedures to be taken to warrant and effect a suspension.
“If any suspension exists, Usani’s attention should be drawn to it. If such circumstances does not exist nor procedures taken in line with the party’s extant laws, then a suspension, invariably does not exist.
“The mark of loyalty to the party is the ability of the individuals to adequately represent the party and practice its ideals at all levels of society and helping it to victory in the midst of other contending forces that compete with the party’s interests.
“The loyalty of Pastor Usani to the cause of the APC has made him the symbol of the party in Cross River State and a repository of trust to all true party faithfuls.
“Usani has shown sufficient loyalty to the party by helping the party poll 722 against the PDP’s two votes in his polling unit and over 3, 000 for the APC versus 423 for PDP in his Abanakpai council ward in the just concluded Presidential elections.
“Usani is the only APC leader in the state to produce his Federal Constituency representative in last Saturday’s general election. These and more define his loyalty to the party.
“To accuse such a man of anti-party activities and claim to suspend him from the party he helped to build is a joke taken too far, and unacceptable.
“To use our party to settle personal and domestic scores is unacceptable, and the perpetrators must be called to order,” he said.
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