The Intriguing APC Suspension of Governors Okorocha (Imo) and Amosun (Ogun)

Politics just like business wins on addition. If you try to do subtraction, you score an own-goal which is a very bad thing. The news is that Governor Rochas Okorocha (Imo State) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun State) have been suspended by APC, Nigeria’s ruling party. Perfect timing!

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has suspended Governors Ibikunle Amosun and Rochas Okorocha of Ogun and Imo States from the party.

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Messrs Amosun and Okorocha have had running battles with the party after their preferred candidates for upcoming governorship election were rejected by the party.

Both governors are now backing the candidates after they defected from the APC to other parties.

For students of strategy, let us do some brain works here:

• They have to be suspended after the presidential election because apparently they mattered before it.
• They have done all things which ordinary citizens could have been kicked out of the party, but as governors, they have real influence on electioneering state machineries.
• They allowed them to win Senate seats before the exits. But could not imagine losing the states because of their actions. To ensure the party keeps the states, they have to leave.
• APC leaders are not stupid: if you control a state, your chance of winning a presidential election in that state, in my model, is close to 87%. This is planning for 2023!

Yet, there is no real suspension: after the gubernatorial election next week, Okorocha and Amosun will visit Aso Rock. The APC state flagbearers just want them out of the state machineries ahead of the election.  And the National Working Committee executed that. It is a smart thing to do because if given the opportunities to rig, you already know the people the (former APC) governors would prefer (the alternative candidates, the non-APC candidates they are supporting).

Simply, APC does not want to take risk by allowing Okorocha and Amosun in APC state secretariats or sending them as APC representatives near INEC offices next week as their voices would be that of Jacob even though the bodies may feel like Esau’s.

Also, in this day of suspension, APC suspended the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani and the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu.

BELOW IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE STATEMENT

Anti-Party: APC NWC Suspends Amosun, Okorocha, Usani, Okechukwu

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has 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 are the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani and the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu.

This decision was reached on Friday at a meeting of the Party’s NWC, presided by the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole at the APC National Secretariat.

The NWC has also taken a decision to recommend the expulsion of the suspended individuals to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.

Recall that the NWC had earlier written to the suspended governors on their anti-party activities, and several other steps were taken to ensure they desist from taking actions that are inimical to the interests of our party and candidates. Notably, these individuals have not shown any remorse and have actually stepped up their actions.

The party reviewed the serial anti-party activities of the concerned individuals before and during the last Presidential and National Assembly elections in their respective states and resolved to enforce party discipline in line with our constitution.

The NWC noted how the suspended members have continued to campaign openly for other parties and candidates that are unknown to our great party, even while they have constituted themselves as opposition to APC candidates in their respective states.

Importantly, the NWC is closely monitoring the activities of our members across the country, and particularly, in the states these suspended members belong to. We wish to reiterate that any member of our party who takes any action solely or in line with the directives of the suspended members to undermine our party’s candidates in the coming governorship and House of Assembly elections would face disciplinary actions.

We wish to congratulate our members nationwide for the victories we recorded across the country in the last elections and particularly, the renewal of our party’s mandate for President Muhammadu to continue to pilot the affairs of this country for another four years. This could not have happened if not for the hardwork and commitment of our members. We therefore urge all our members to unite and work ever harder to ensure victory for our candidates across the states in the coming governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Consequently, the NWC calls on our members to disregard directives and actions of the suspended individuals as APC would continue to live by the dictate of our constitution.

SIGNED:

Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu

National Publicity Secretary

All Progressives Congress (APC)

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