With internal crisis bedeviling the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the crisis seems to have been transferred to some state chapters as a faction of the party in Bayelsa State on Monday, June 22, 2015 announced the expulsion of the State Chairman of the party, Tiwei Orunimighe, and his deputy, Eddie Julius, over allegations of anti-party activities.
The faction under the aegis of the Integrity Group said Sidi Godwin will take over as acting Chairman in order to “reposition the party strategically towards the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.”
Teddy Edwin, Publicity Secretary of the group said Orunimighe was expelled for “aiding and abetting anti-party activities” while the state party secretary, Daniel Marlin was expelled “for parading himself as the state secretary of APC after resigning his office to contest for a seat in the state House of Assembly in the last general elections.”
Following a meeting at the party secretariat, Edwin said: “The state chairman is hereby expelled for gross misconduct, abuse of office, high-handedness, arrogance and anti-party activities.”
In a swift reaction, Orunimighe said members of the faction had been suspended by the party leadership, adding that the purported expulsion was not only laughable but ridiculous as only the National Working Committee (NWC) could expel him as he was a national officer.
Orunimigha enthused thus: “The signatory to the purported expulsion do not exist. The only body that has the right to suspend members of the State Working Committee of the party is the NWC. The statement was issued by a non-existent group and the party is not bothered but remained focused on the issue of change in the state.”
He also added that the said new chairman, Sidi was recently suspended by the party and was yet to appear before the disciplinary panel set up to try him for anti-party activities.
