Ojudu, others remain suspended, Ekiti APC insists

THE Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has refused to shift its ground on the suspension of Babafemi Ojudu , Oyetunde Ojo and nine other members of the ruling party.

This is happening a week after the central executives of the APC in Ekiti announced the indefinite suspension of these eleven members of the party.

The suspended members include the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Oyetunde Ojo, the in-law to APC national leader, Bola Tinubu. Others are Engr Ayo Ajibade, Femi Adeleye, Bunmi Ogunleye, Akin Akomolafe, Bamigboye Adegoroye, Wole Oluyede, Olusoga Owoeye, Dele Afolabi, and Toyin Oluwasola.

The party said it was acting on the report of the Honourable Sola Ajigbolamu-led disciplinary committee set up to probe the party leaders for alleged anti-party activities and failure to withdraw court cases.

It was also gathered that the suspended members are habitual critics of Governor Kayode Fayemi.

But in a swift reaction, Ojudu and other aggrieved party members who were miffed by Governor Kayode Fayemi’s alleged dictatorship and anti-party activities, also suspended the governor and the APC state chairman, Hon. Paul Omotoso last week Friday.

The foregoing scenarios forced the National Working Committee via its National Deputy Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, to issue a statement nullifying the two suspensions and set up a reconciliation committee headed by Governor Nasir El-Rufai to broker truce between the contending groups.

Meanwhile, going by the development on Wednesday, the central executives of the Ekiti APC has defied the order from the national headquarters that the suspensions from the two warring factions should remain a ‘nullity’.

The executives said the suspension of Ojudu and others still stands.

In a chat with journalists in Ado-Ekiti ,the state capital on Wednesday, the State Publicity Secretary, Ade Ajayi said the suspension against Ojudu and others subsists, regardless of the decision taken by the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led national caretaker committee of the APC.

Ajayi added that the El-Rufai reconciliation committee and the disciplinary committee set up at the state level, which recommended the suspension of Ojudu and others were saddled with distinct responsibilities with no overlapping effect.

He said, “Let me clarify here, it was only the suspension the illegal body imposed on Governor Kayode Fayemi that was nullified and not the one that was carried out by the state disciplinary committee.

“Don’t forget that there was a provision in what the national exco said concerning the lifting of the suspension. The national body said it has not received the report of the disciplinary committee set up by the authentic APC in Ekiti as at when the pronouncement was made.

“But as I speak with you, the national headquarters had received the report. It was as a result of the disobedience to the directive of the National Executive Commiittee and President Muhammadu Buhari that all cases be withdrawn from courts that we set up the disciplinary committee.”

Ajayi expressed optimism that the Governor El-Rufai-led Reconciliation Committee will act on the report submitted by the Jide Awe-led committee set up by the State Working Committee to mediate in the crisis.

“There are two different issues, they are distinct and I don’t think there is conflict between what the committees by the national and state are to do. “The Jide Awe-led committee submitted its report on Tuesday, September 29. We are confident that the committee set up by the national will act on its recommendations.

“Don’t forget that the aggrieved people were provided the opportunities, but they refused to appear before the disciplinary and reconciliation committees set up by the party. It has always been our wish that we remain one family,” he said.

Ajayi appealed to Ojudu and his group to cooperate with the reconciliation Committee set up by the national body for unity to be restored ahead of the 2022 governorship election in the state.

“Let them come home and ventilate their anger. Let them use the party’s reconciliation mechanisms to settle this, so that we can remain united as we have ever been,” Ajayi said.