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Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) seems to have worsened as the party’s Deputy National Chairman, North, Lawan Shuaibu, has declined appearance before the Otumba Niyi Adebayo-led five-man disciplinary committee constituted by the National Working Committee (NWC).
Replying the invitation letter the committee sent to him, Shuaibu stated in clear terms that NWC lacks the statutory powers to constitute such disciplinary committee, stressing that he cannot join them in swimming in illegality.
Titled ‘Re: Invitation to appear before a five-man disciplinary committee, Shuaibu wrote: “I hereby acknowledge receipt of the letter of invitation to appear before your committee, but wish to regrettably make the following observations:
“I don’t know from where the National Working Committee (NWC) derived the power of discipline. The APC Constitution in Article 21 states that such Power shall only be exercised by the Party through the respective Executive Committee of the party at all levels.
“I am not a lawyer, but I have been in the political party system for about a decade now to be able to know that every decision of the party shall be in line with what it’s constitution stipulates. When I served as a National Secretary, my own National Chairman would insist that I worked with the National Legal Adviser for advice on every issue before any decision was arrived at.
“Given the NWC has the power, how can the Chairman preside over a meeting in which discussions that border on allegations against him are discussed?
“Let me repeat again as in my letter to the Chairman, you can’t be a judge in your own case! And to even say he was seated there to accept a vote of confidence as well as preside over setting up a committee to punish the member that accused him!
“Those eminent leaders of the All Progressives Congress had fairness on their minds on matters of discipline and disciplinary procedures when they drafted the constitution. They entrusted the matter of discipline in the party to the larger Executive Committees and not a group of few members of the party some of who might probably be culpable in some instances.
