The Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, may be expelled soon from the party following the recommendations by a committee set up to discipline him.
Frank has openly criticized the leadership style of John Oyegun, national chairman of the party, and called for his resignation
On October 26, when the disciplinary committee was inaugurated, Solomon Edoja, its chairman, promised that due process would be followed.
“We will soon invite him to state his own side of the story. We are also going to invite the petitioner because the legal procedure is that you have to hear from both sides before you can reach the decision,” he had said.
“We are going to subject our recommendation to the zonal executive committee for ratification. But, be that as it may, the APC wants to tell the world that the party is supreme, our constitution is supreme, and if there are infractions, we have to follow due process to attain whatever petition that comes before us.”
Frank, who described the panel as the “handiwork of my national chairman”, said he might not appear before it.
“I will only appear before a committee that will be constituted by respected party members because such a committee will enable me lay my complain about the party and I believe it will do what is right and take my complains to the next level. But how can I appear before a committee that will take its report to Oyegun to decide my fate,” he had said.
“If by tomorrow the committee says then invited me and I refuse to appear and so, they found me guilty, I am ready to face the battle.”
The panel has submitted its report, and in the recommendations signed by all the five members of the committee, the party leadership was advised to suspend Frank immediately, and commence proceedings of expelling him from the party.
“Since the committee is not a father Christmas, it has no choice than to rely on the prima facie evidence tendered upon the petitioner, consequent upon which, the committee hereby recommends as follows;” the report read.
“That Timi Frank be suspended from the party forthwith in line with article 21D (f).
“That zonal executive committee should recommend to the NEC for the expulsion of Timi Frank from the party in line with article 21 D (h) (ii) and (iii).”
The report was submitted to Eta Hilliard, south-south vice-chairman of APC.
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